


Yesterday

by knifeboye



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Incomplete, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-09-02 13:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 76,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8669125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knifeboye/pseuds/knifeboye
Summary: One could say Lance McClain was a romantic.Honestly, he should have noticed the moment his life became one terrible romcom.----Or, Lance decides the only logical way to win his ex back is by getting a fake boyfriend.





	1. On Bad Decisions

"I'm an idiot."  
  
"No, Lance, you're not an idiot," Hunk reassured as his big hand found his best friend’s back, and patted it soothingly.  
  
"Yes I am."  
  
The hand paused in its movement as Hunk pondered for a moment. "No, I mean... you just... make bad decisions?"  
  
Lance let out a groan, his head falling to bury itself in his folded arms. He was very much aware he was drawing the attention of a high school tour group that scurried by, and he couldn’t care less. Might as well put up a sign saying: “THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A FUCKUP. DON’T BE A FUCKUP, KIDS.” He could almost hear the orientation leader:

“Now, if you look to your left, you’ll see an egghead that is in way over his head. Alright, you guys, repeat the following mantra: _I will not be an egghead_.”

“It’s really not that bad,” Hunk added, tearing Lance from his self-deprecating daydream.

“I told him I’m dating someone. I hardly even _talk_ to anybody but you. What am I going to do?" Lance complained from his arms, content on never removing his face from them, again.  
  
"I don't know, man. There’s not really much _to_ do. Just tell the truth."  
  
" _HA-_ never."  
  
Hunk sighed, and Lance knew his roommate was thoroughly done with his shit. September had just started, they were only three weeks into the semester, and Lance had managed to turn his life into a soap opera. Not even a good one, at that. Just a miserable, awkward, unimpressive one. Rated one star out of ten by critics worldwide.

"Look, I know it's tough, but that's the best option. And, not to pull the _‘I told you so’_ card, _but_ I did tell you from the start to let it go. You can do so much better than Rolo."  
  
"No I can't," Lance protested, removing his face from his arms, and leaning back against his chair. His heart felt heavy in his chest, weighed down with shame and sappy pining. He looked up into the clear sky, eyes searching for wisps of clouds in the vast blue. The outdoor metal table they were sat at was right by the science building’s gazebo- a place Hunk and Lance liked to go in between classes. It was a warm day- students milled about lazily, some lying out on the grassy area that encompassed this part of campus. It was still early in the semester, so there was no urgency or stress concerning classes. The students that lingered cheerfully were wisely trying to enjoy this leisure time while they could. Lance envied them.

Why did he always have to make everything harder than it needed to be?

Lance wished he could disappear. Just until Rolo forgot who he was. Or until the semester was over and they (hopefully) would never have to see each other, again. He could feel tears of frustration coming along, but he forced them back, flattening his lips into a line and giving a soft sniff. Hunk, having been Lance’s best friend his entire life, caught the signs quickly, and put a hand on Lance’s shoulder.  
  
"Hey- screw him, okay? He had his chance. All that's left to do is fess up and move past this mess."  
  
Lance crossed his arms and refused to meet Hunk's eyes, knowing he was being childish, but not much caring. "Maybe you're right…."  
  
"There we go," Hunk spoke cheerfully. Lance still pouted, and Hunk gave him a playful poke in his side. "You're a catch, you'll bounce back from this. If it makes you feel any better, I totally would've pretended to be your boyfriend to make Rolo jealous if he didn't already know me."  
  
Lance laughed as Hunk did, but then he paused. He turned to meet Hunk's eyes, and his own were lit with inspiration.  
  
Hunk immediately backtracked.  
  
"Lance... you're not--"  
  
"Hunk, buddy, you're a _GENIUS!"_  
  
_"LANCE."_

* * *

One could say Lance McClain was a romantic.

Growing up, he was surrounded by romance, and his head was filled with many ways in which it should come into his life. He'd planned it all out, thinking up the most romantic dates, using cheesy lines he'd learned on anyone he found remotely attractive, and spending inconceivable amounts of time in book stores and coffee shops, hoping to live out the cheesy romance story he'd always imagined. Though it seemed sad, Lance merely thought of himself as a dreamer- someone who always hoped for a happy ending, and worked to achieve it. He waited his whole life for the moment his true love would wander their way into it, and he was more than ready to embrace that person the moment they decided to come to him.

If there was anyone to blame for Lance's idealized perception of romance, it had to be his older sister, Sofia. Or, rather, the day she showed him _Sleepless in Seattle_ when he was eight years old. After that, he grew to be closest to Sofia out of anybody in his large family, there for her through all her boyfriends, breakups, and cheesy romance movie nights. Then he started watching his mom and aunt’s _telenovelas_ with them every Saturday night, picked up love stories from the library, and dragged Hunk to every romance movie ever to come out in theaters- good or bad.

Honestly, he should have noticed the moment his life became one terrible romcom.

It was the perfect setting- he was head over heels for a bad boy that told him from the get go he couldn’t be tied down. They had a few flings- make outs in each other’s rooms (needless to say, Hunk was _not_ happy to walk in on them getting hot and heavy, so they stopped using Lance's dorm after the third time), quick hookups, and not much beyond that.

His name was _Rolo_ , for crying out loud. Was that even a name, or a choco-caramel candy? Everything about him screamed DO NOT ENGAGE IF YOU ARE A CLINGY SAP- from his flirty blue eyes to his heartbreaking smile. And then there was the way he lured Lance in that first day, sliding into the seat next to him in their world history class, putting a hand on the back of Lance’s chair, and flashing a cool smile and dumb pickup line.

He oozed confidence, and when Lance fell, he fell hard. Rolo, in a way, was everything Lance wanted to be: likable, charming, confident, smart, and _hot_.

They’d been so invested in one another since the start of the semester, Lance had eventually become dependent on their encounters. They texted constantly, hung out before and after classes, and would always end the day with amazing, movie-worthy sex. It was a thrill- Lance had never been so consistently involved with someone, and he found himself almost forgetting that there would probably be a time in the near future where Rolo wasn't there with him.

Granted, he knew their hookups wouldn’t last forever- he felt this realization in his gut. Rolo wouldn’t be around much longer, and Lance would be left with a broken heart.

The way he’d ended things had been shitty. Lance didn’t even realize it until he’d told Hunk about their "breakup"- about what Rolo had said. His best friend had gotten angry for him, telling Lance he didn’t deserve to be treated in such a way. But Lance, of course, had defended Rolo, saying that they weren’t too serious anyways. He _still_ couldn't get himself to lay the fault with him.

He only allowed himself to cry later that night, once Hunk was asleep.

“I’ve kinda started seeing this girl,” Rolo had warned after they’d been making out on his bed the previous Saturday. “I just thought I’d let you know- this is the last time we can do this.”

Lance had felt frozen to the spot- a shock coursing through him. He felt jarred, as if he'd been tossed out of his body.

“Oh… who?” he asked, trying to keep his voice light.

Nyma. Her name was Nyma. And Lance, like an idiot, wished Rolo luck with her. Then they finished up, and he drove back to his dorm feeling empty- wondering what he’d done wrong, and why he hadn't been good enough.

Even now, Lance had a hard time blaming Rolo.

 _I thought you don’t go exclusive_ , Lance wanted to say. But he didn’t, because he knew the answer.

Rolo didn’t take Lance seriously. He didn’t see any of their hookups, no matter how intense or amazing or impressive, as anything more than just that: hookups.

Honestly, Lance wasn’t sure why he was still head over heels for the guy. He hadn’t been a particularly good person to Lance- he never even took him out on a proper date. Their rendezvous were always on campus- at Rolo's apartment, Lance's dorm, in the backseat of Rolo’s posh Lexus, and even in the science building’s fourth floor bathrooms (Lance hadn’t been particularly proud of that location, but his performance that night _had_ blown Rolo’s mind, no pun intended).

But Lance rarely used rational thought when it came to affairs of the heart. He was guided by raw emotion, and those emotions told him he needed to win Rolo back- that he wasn’t quite over him, yet. That this guy would be the key to his happiness.

So that’s what led to his stupid, _stupid_ response.

“I mean, it’s fine. I’ve started seeing someone, too. Someone from our class.”

Rolo had been so shocked, he hadn’t thought to question Lance on it. He’d just nodded, said, “Cool,” and proceeded to take off Lance’s shirt.

And that’s how Lance found himself surveying the classroom before Rolo could walk in- searching for someone, _anyone_ he could quickly bribe into being his fake boyfriend or girlfriend.

He didn’t know many people in his history class. It was a lecture hall, and filled with at least a hundred students, most of them freshmen. Lance was taking this course because it was required to graduate. He only had two years left of college, and though he was well stocked on classes that related to his astrophysics major, he was somewhat lacking in core classes. The amount of times the word “intro” popped up in his schedule this semester was saddening, to say the least.

Lance sighed as he watched people filing into the classroom. He didn’t recognize anybody, so far- only a few girls he had classes with in the past, but he couldn't even remember their names. It had been a good year or so since he'd even talked to any of those girls. 

Lance was ready to give up and admit defeat when the clock signaled five minutes until class started, and the trickling of students into the room lessened significantly. This was utterly hopeless, and he’d have to confess to Rolo, be humiliated, and logically never show up to class again. He'd probably need to drop out of college entirely, and go hide under a rock. Lance could already see his new future materialize before him, clear as day. He could almost smell the grease staining an apron tied around his waist- could feel the crippling weight of student loans from a college that inevitably never got him anywhere.

That’s when he walked in- a disinterested look on his face, black hair long (a _mullet_ , for God’s sake, but Lance would be lying if he said it didn’t look good) and a black leather jacket slung over his arm, phone in his hand, which was clad with a fingerless glove. Lance only barely managed to catch the sight of something rainbow hanging from a zipper on his black backpack- a charm of some sort, flashing pride colors and heightening Lance's hope.

Keith Kogane.

Lance had art in society with him, a class that was required for the art education major he’d just started to work on this semester. It was a class Keith sucked horribly at. Lance had been partners with the guy for an assignment where they went to different display tables and guessed the mediums of various pieces. Keith didn’t know the difference between oil and acrylic paint, and probably didn’t even know the names to either one. It was absolutely pathetic.

But he was the only person Lance sort of knew in this classroom, and he realized his choice had been made when Rolo walked in, giving Lance a charming smile.

Keith would be his fake boyfriend.

“Hey,” Rolo greeted, sliding in next to Lance.

“Hi,” he replied nervously.

It was silent.

“So… no hard feelings, right? About the other day?”

“Nah, of course not.”

Lance tapped his pen quickly against his notebook, boring his eyes at his professor, _begging her_ to begin the lecture so he wouldn’t have to endure any more of this horribly awkward conversation. So he could avoid digging himself further into this--

Rolo had said something. Lance didn’t catch it.

“Hm?” he asked, flicking his eyes over before looking down at Rolo's hands, which were spread nicely on the table, open and confident. He tore his gaze away, and looked at blue eyes- a light, clear color, unlike Lance’s darker ones.

“I never asked who you started seeing,” Rolo spoke with a sly smile, noticing Lance’s flustered state. "You said they're in this class?"

“Oh, uh… I mean, you probably don’t know him,” Lance tried, hoping that answer would get him out of this whole mess.

“What does that matter?”

Shit.

Lance swallowed. “Ah… uh, it’s…” he gestured his pen quickly towards where Keith sat, at the front of the classroom towards the door, “him. Keith.”

Rolo’s eyes followed the point of Lance’s pen, and he raised his eyebrow. Lance fought back a blush, and his heart was beating loud in his ears. His stomach did a million nervous flips.

“Really?”

“... Yeah.”

“Huh. How come you’re not sitting with him?”

Lance shrugged. “The same people have been sitting there since the first day. Don’t wanna be a dick. Besides, he’s in my art class. We sit next to each other in there,” he quickly explained.

“Oh. Okay. I mean, he could sit up here if you want me to switch with him--”

“ _No_. No, that’s fine. We’re, uh… it’s fine.”

“Alright. If you say so.”

Then the class started. A few minutes in, Rolo nudged at him, then leaned close. His smell overcame Lance- sweet and enticing, and his heart suddenly ached as the heat of Rolo’s shoulder rested against Lance’s.

“You gonna introduce me?” Rolo asked.

Lance blinked. “What?”

“To Keith. Are you gonna introduce me?”

“Uh…” Lance faltered, trying to find a way out of this, “wouldn’t that be… weird?”

“It doesn’t have to be. I like you, Lance. I want us to keep talking. And, I mean, we’re both seeing people. So it’s all good, right?”

Lance’s heart was in his throat, and he swallowed hard. He felt tears prickle at his eyes, and suddenly wanted to be anywhere but in this lecture hall. He had a specific place in mind- his dorm room, laid out on Hunk’s bed and being spooned by him while they watched _Shameless_ so Lance could focus on other people’s shitty problems rather than his own.

But he wasn’t in his dorm. He was here, next to Rolo (who he wasn’t seeing, anymore), and he had to suck it up.

“Yeah. Sure.”

Rolo gave him a smile, eyes holding something Lance couldn’t decipher, but that made him feel nauseous.

He was fucked.

* * *

When class was over, Lance sprang of his seat, excused himself, and ran out the door after Keith, who was instantly swallowed up by the hallway crowd. He bustled through the mass of people before he spotted a familiar haircut.

“ _Keith!_ Hey, Keith!”

The shorter boy stopped walking, and turned around. He looked startled, as if there could be another Keith in the hallway somebody was shouting after.

His brown eyes were wide as they searched the halls, and when they landed on Lance, they squinted, confused- as if Keith was trying to put a name to Lance’s very-hysteric face.

When he caught up to Keith, he reached for his arm, grabbed it urgently, and spoke fast, “Hey, okay, uh- I need to ask you a favor, and I need a reply, like, _really quick._ ”

“Uh-” Keith began, undergoing a mental stutter.

Lance pulled him out of the crowd and towards the nearest wall, looking back at the door for a moment, and throwing a quick prayer that Rolo would take his time getting to him.

“Okay, well- keep an open mind, alright? I kind of need you to pretend to be my boyfriend. For, like, _ten seconds_. Please.”

Keith looked taken aback, eyes wide. He pulled away from Lance’s hold, nose scrunched up and wrinkled in a bewildered way. _“What?”_

 _“Please?”_ Lance tried.

“I don’t even know your name,” Keith revealed. Ouch. “Is this some kind of joke?” and he prickled with the question, looking self-conscious, face red.

“ _No_ , no, no, I swear- Christ, I’m not that shitty. I wouldn’t- uh, I’m Lance? I’m in your art class? We sit next to each other- did that naming assignment together?”

Keith seemed to recognize him, now. He looked sheepish, and loosened up slightly. “Oh.”

“And, okay, I don’t have much time to explain? But, please, I’m begging you, just- just pretend to be my boyfriend for like the next five minutes. Just in front of my ex.”

Keith frowned, and his eyes flickered around the halls. He looked uncomfortable, and it made Lance feel even more shitty. “I don’t think….”

"I’ll owe you one. Anything- we can discuss it later, just--”

“Lance!”

Lance yelped, drawing away from Keith, and turning to see Rolo weaving through the crowd to get to him.

“You just ran off. Are you okay?”

“ _Yeah!_ Yes. I was, uh, trying to catch up to Keith.”

Lance’s heart was hammering, launching itself into his throat and he _prayed_ that Keith was still behind him and hadn’t left Lance standing alone like a complete--

A hand found Lance’s, and fingers twined with his own.

Keith fucking Kogane was stood next to him, a smile on his face that made Lance’s breath catch in his throat.

It took Lance a moment to gather himself, and to stop staring at Keith in complete and utter shock- something Rolo would no doubt find suspicious.

“Oh- uh, this is Keith. My… uh... Keith, this is Rolo. He’s a friend.”

Keith gave Rolo a different smile, now, and Lance swore it was meant to look defiant- eyes dangerous and mouth bent into a crooked smirk.

“Nice to meet you,” his smooth, low voice seemed to challenge.

Rolo looked taken aback, but he quickly regained his cool. “Yeah. Likewise.”

Keith’s hand tugged on Lance’s, garnering his attention. “Ready to go?”

Lance smiled, and he hoped it looked genuine, and that his thanks was portrayed through it. “Yep! Uhm, bye, Rolo.”

“See you,” Rolo spoke, a look on his face Lance couldn’t read.

Keith tugged Lance along, until they were out the side doors to the social sciences building, stood next to a willow tree and away from prying eyes. When Keith looked around to make sure Rolo wasn’t nearby, he let go of Lance’s hand.

They were both silent- Lance staring at Keith in awe, and Keith looking to the side, and at the floor.

“You really gave a believable performance, back there,” Lance complemented, impressed. Keith met Lance’s eyes and frowned, putting a hand on his hip. Lance suddenly noticed a helmet held in his other hand- matte black with a heavily tinted visor.

“Yeah, I mean… I didn’t mind when I saw who it was. I kinda hate that guy. He’s a douche.”

Lance grew defensive. “He’s not bad! He’s… he can be really nice.”

Keith scowled, looking like he wanted to argue on that matter, but he held himself back. “Sure… whatever you say.”

Before Lance could get angry and ruin this chance, he changed the subject.

“So… I owe you. Like, a lot.”

Keith smirked. “Yeah.”

Lance felt a nervous dread twist his stomach. He’d promised Keith _anything_. And he didn’t even know the guy. He could be a creep. “Uh… so what do you want?”

Keith seemed to think about it, pondering as his eyebrows scrunched together and his mouth twisted into a frown.

Then his eyes lit up, and he met Lance’s gaze.

“Tutoring.”

Lance backtracked. _“Huh?"_

Keith seemed embarrassed, but he hid it with a grumpy scowl. “In art. I’m… I don’t like that class… I can’t seem to grasp it, and it’s just--”

“Yeah,” Lance exhaled. “Okay.”

Keith blinked. “Really?”

Lance smiled, then. “Yeah, man! I’m double majoring. Art education is one of ‘em. Teaching you would be great practice.”

Keith gave Lance a look. “I’m expecting you to be good, then.”

“Psht. By the time I’m done with you, you’re gonna be an art prodigy.”

Keith seemed to suppress a grin. He met Lance’s eyes, his own careful. “And Rolo…?”

“Yeah, that… so… how about as long as I tutor you, you pretend to be my boyfriend? Uh, only around him. I promise not to make this creepy.”

Keith frowned, seeming uneasy. But then he nodded. “I guess that’s fair.”

Lance beamed. “Honestly, thanks so much. You really saved my ass.”

“Yeah, no problem," Keith dismissed, and he shouldered his backpack. "I gotta go. So, uhm… I’ll see you later.”

“Okay!” Lance agreed. When Keith turned around, though, he spoke up. “Wait!”

Keith faced him, eyebrows drawn together. “What?”

Lance dug through his backpack, tore a corner from a page in his notebook, and grabbed a pen from his pocket. He wrote his number on it, then handed the paper to Keith. The shorter boy took it, gave it a read, then raised an eyebrow at Lance, an unamused look on his face.

“You should probably have it, since you’re my new boyfriend,” Lance teased, giving Keith a wink.

He went red, but rolled his eyes, and pocketed the paper. “Fake boyfriend.”

“To-may-to, to-mah-to.”

Keith smiled at that, but it was gone as quickly as it had arrived. “Bye, Lance.”

Lance smiled. “See you.”

* * *

“Oh my god, Lance. You didn’t.”

Lance grinned cheekily. “But I _did_.”

Hunk gave his friend a look that spoke all the menace he couldn’t in the middle of the library.

Lance had texted Hunk the moment he’d finished talking with Keith with a message reading: "WHERE ARE YOU??? EMERGENCY, LIFE OR DEATH." Hunk had replied with a simple: "Library. Bring coffee?"  
  
So, twenty minutes later Lance arrived at the third floor study area of the library, two coffees in hand, and proceeded to get hardcore judged by his best friend after he'd whispered (which, with Lance, was talking without shouting _too_ loud) everything that had happened to him, earlier. When he finished explaining, Hunk had sighed, and suddenly looked thirty years older. Lance could've sworn he saw a gray hair in his friend's dark locks.

“You know the only way this can end is _terribly,_ right?”

Lance scoffed, and leaned back in his chair. He purposefully ignored a pointed glare another kid gave him from a nearby table. “Geez, have a little faith, Hunk!” 

Hunk gave an exasperated groan, and muffled it in his hands before he spoke. “Am I the only one that paid attention to the five hundred romcoms you forced me to watch?”

“This isn’t like that. My life isn’t a movie. And, besides, I only have to fake date Keith until Rolo gets jealous and wants me back. It shouldn’t take long- I’m irresistible!” He gained a shush from a nearby student. Hunk sent them an apologetic look on Lance's behalf. Then he looked to Lance and crossed his arms, giving him the most serious face he could muster.

“I'm telling you, now: this is a really, _really_ bad idea. Listen to me, this time.”

But Lance was determined.

“This is _different,_ though. I can feel it.”

It was silent for a while. Hunk stared down his friend, seeming as though he was trying find some last minute solution- something to knock some sense into him. Eventually, he resorted to a disappointed sigh. 

“Well, all we can do is hope you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's the first chapter  
> Let's see where this thing goes.  
> rant to me about space gays on my tumblr: spacegaykogane


	2. On Pet Names and Dumplings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow! thank you guys so much for the lovely reviews! They're much appreciated.  
> 

_“Earth to Keith!”_

Keith blinked before focusing on the coffee held in front of his face. He quickly took it, and proceeded to try and avoid the questioning look his roommate gave him.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

Pidge sat at the chair across from Keith, their gaze on him not even wavering as they set their frappucino down on the table. It was an average Monday afternoon- the bustle of the coffee shop the two roommates tended to study at was calm with the lazy day. Only three other people were there, and they were studying, as well. It was quiet, save for the soft drawl of some indie song in the background. Keith focused on the warm paper cup in his hand as he looked at his laptop screen (it was the school’s- a rental), trying his best to get his mind back on his calculus assignment.

He knew he wouldn’t get out of Pidge’s prying that easily, and expected the next thing they said:

 _“What_ is up with you?”

Keith kept his gaze on his screen. “Nothing.”

He could hear the annoyance in Pidge’s voice, and when he flicked his gaze to his roommate, their freckled nose was scrunched with distaste.

“Liar. You’ve been acting weird.”

“More so than usual?”

_“Keith.”_

“It’s nothing,” he assured. “Just had a strange day.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Does it have to do with that paper you keep looking at every two minutes?”

Keith’s fingers froze on his keyboard, and his eyes slowly moved up to look at Pidge. He fought the urge to reach into his pocket to feel for the notebook paper with Lance’s number scrawled on it.

Ever perceptive, Pidge was.

As if reading Keith’s thoughts, his roommate’s eyebrow raised impossibly higher, a sly smile tugging at their lips.

“Phone number?” they asked, light brown eyes searching Keith’s face for any sort of slip- anything to reveal the truth.

Luckily for Keith, while he was sometimes an open book in the eyes of Pidge, he could still keep up a mean poker face.

So he feigned disinterest, flicking his gaze quickly back to his laptop. “Just for a tutor.”

Pidge made an interested noise. “Woah. Keith _‘I-Don’t-Need-Anyone’s-Help’_ Kogane got a _tutor?”_

He shrugged. “It was free.”

“Is this for your art class?”

“Yeah.”

Keith could hear the smile in Pidge’s voice. “Well, I’m proud of you for sucking it up and getting some help.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

They studied in silence for a moment. Then Pidge spoke, again.

“So is he cute?”

Keith tore his gaze away from the screen to look at Pidge with wide eyes, and his face revealed everything they needed to know. He inwardly cursed himself as he struggled to regain his composure.

“I _knew_ it!” Pidge exclaimed.

“I didn’t even _reply_ ,” Keith protested, a glare on his face.

“You didn’t have to. I can read you like a book, Kogane.”

Keith sighed. _“Pidge--”_

“Like a _book.”_

“It’s just someone from class,” Keith revealed. “I hardly even know him.”

“That’s not what I asked, though.”

Keith could feel himself go red, and he rolled his eyes before looking back to his screen. He took a sip from his coffee.

“So he _is_ cute!”

“Shut up.”

“Ha!” Pidge cheered. Their face was twisted into a wide grin, and they leaned onto the table, elbows digging into their Chemical Engineering textbook. Studying would be completely forgotten by Pidge until Keith indulged them- he knew his friend well enough to understand that. “What’s his name?”

“If you don’t let up, I’m going to throw his number in the trash and fail art just to spite you.”

“Aw  _come on,_ Keith!”

“You’re making this way bigger than it is.”

Pidge gave Keith a look, mouth curled into a sly smile, and eyes glinting behind their glasses. “Please, don’t insult my intelligence. You’ve been acting different all day- there’s something else that happened that you’re not telling me.”

Keith gave Pidge a smile at that, narrowing his eyes at them. If Pidge was anything, it was naturally and insistently inquisitive. He knew what to say to get back at them. “Well, then, if you’re so smart you can figure it out.”

Pidge huffed, leaning back in their seat and crossing their arms. “You’re the worst.”

“Noted.”

“I’m going to find a new best friend.”

“Good luck with that.”

Pidge playfully kicked Keith’s shin, and he laughed. They fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by Pidge’s occasional (and ridiculously far off) guesses.

Keith’s fingers went to his pocket, and felt for the shape of paper. And as he desperately attempted to keep the image of lively blue eyes out of his mind, he tried not to wonder what he’d gotten himself into.

* * *

Keith wasn’t familiar with the feeling of nervousness that overtook him as he sat down in art class that Wednesday. Not _this_ sort of nervousness, at least.

He told himself it was logical. He _was_ in a bizarre situation, after all. It was normal to feel like this- to feel unsure… to have doubts.

But, for as long as he could remember, Keith had been sure about every decision he made, and everything that came his way. He was sure of his university choice- had been since he started high school. He was sure the savings he gathered from his summer jobs would be enough to cover his dorm rent, while his scholarships rode him through classes expense-free. He, while hesitant for a brief moment, became sure of sharing a room with Pidge- someone he’d only met his freshman year.

After living most of his childhood uncertain of what was to come, Keith worked to make sure everything was guaranteed and _safe_. He felt more confident now than he ever had in his life, and that was because he took control of every jab thrown at him.

But Lance… he was just so _strange_. He was chaotic, too-loud, clumsy, sunny, and an (admittedly admirable) _mess_.

He was uncertainty.

Keith didn’t know what possessed him to say yes to Lance’s offer. Initially, he tried to tell himself it was for his pure dislike of Rolo- a guy who’d made Pidge’s life absolute hell back in freshman year. He told himself it was to get a sense of revenge- to gain some closure and justice for his friend.

But that wasn’t it. Not _all of it_ , at least.

It was Lance.

He was strange, yes, but Keith felt oddly intrigued by him.

And for once, he’d decided to tear away the safety railing that guarded his life, and take the wild, terrifying plunge into the unknown.

He was going to see how this played out.

“What do you think of bubble tea?”

The intruding voice snapped Keith from his reverie, and his eyes went to Lance, who was at the desk to Keith’s left, facing him as he sat sideways. He was giving Keith a giant, goofy smile.

“Excuse me?” Keith replied before internally wincing, realizing a bit too late that his response was probably not the nicest thing to say.

Lance, however, was unfazed.

“Bubble tea. Do you like it?”

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed. “I haven’t tried it.”

At that, Lance seemed excited. “Well, then, that settles that! Now we _have_ to go,” he decided. Keith grew cautious.

“What’s this for?” 

“A location for our future study dates,” Lance replied nonchalantly as he sat the right way in his desk, facing forward. “I was trying to think of a place that stays open late enough so we can have a lot of time to get there and get stuff done. There’s a bubble tea shop that stays open until one in the morning,” he explained as he pulled his notebook out of his bag, and placed it on his desk, opening it up. Keith briefly caught the sight of a torn page corner, and his fingers fluttered to his pocket involuntarily.

“Why can’t we just study on campus?” Keith questioned. He watched as Lance shrugged in response, leaning back in his seat and twirling a pen in his hand once before clicking it repetitively. He continued the annoying habit as he spoke.

“It’s easier for me to study off campus. The change in scenery is better for concentrating, y’know?”

Keith didn’t. But he knew Pidge was the same way, so he nodded absentmindedly as he watched Lance’s fingers click-clacking the pen. He stared at the motion for a moment before he replied.

“Okay. That’s fine.”

Keith looked away and at the whiteboard in the front of the class before he could be captured by a wide smile and bright eyes. He crossed his arms.

“Cool!” Lance exclaimed, clearly pleased. “Do you have a car?”

Keith still avoided Lance’s eyes. “I’ve got a bike.”

“Huh? Like a motorcycle?”

“Yep.”

Lance hummed in what seemed like distaste. Keith bristled, but kept his cool. “Nah, that’s not gonna work. I’ll drive us.”

Keith looked at Lance, then, raising an eyebrow. “I can drive myself.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “That’s just a waste of gas. We’re both going to the same place, after all.”

Frowning, Keith gave in. “Fine.”

“Alright. So when are you free to study?”

“Fridays are best. I don’t have classes, then.”

“Me, neither!” Lance beamed. “Perfect. So, I’ll pick you up to study this Friday at four? Wait, do you live on campus?”

“Yeah.”

“Where at?”

“The West dorms.”

“You’re kidding! Me, too! What floor?” Lance asked, turning back to his sideways position in his seat so he could see Keith better.

“Second.”

Lance froze before he slowly leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He gazed at Keith with a serious look.

“Keith. What’s your room number?”

Keith watched Lance carefully, taken aback by his strange change in character. “226. Why?”

“Holy shit. I’m in 220.”

Keith’s eyes widened. “So… you’re--”

“Like, two dorms down from you? Yeah.”

“That’s… weird.”

Lance smiled widely at that. “More like _fate_. How romantic.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

“Don’t push me away. This is meant to be.”

The professor walked in, and Keith focused on him, pointedly ignoring Lance. The taller boy eventually got the hint, and payed attention once the professor started speaking, turning back to face forward. They didn’t interact again for the duration of class, taking notes and listening to the lecture. Keith tried not to look at Lance once.

When class was over, Lance picked up his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and stood by Keith’s desk.

“I’ve got two questions,” he announced.

Keith gave him a wary look. “Okay?”

“First: why haven’t you texted me, yet?”

Keith blinked. “Oh. Uh… I didn’t… have a reason to?”

“Dude. You don’t need a _reason._  Literally, text me anything. I will accept shitty memes and pictures of really awesome dogs.”

Keith pushed back a smile. “Uhm….”

“In fact, those are actually my most preferred forms of messages to receive.”

He couldn’t help it, Keith smiled at that. “Okay.”

“So, yeah. Just text me.”

“I will.”

Lance smiled at that, then, all serious business done with. His hand went to absentmindedly smooth out the front of his shirt- a blue button up with ocean wave patterns. Keith had to force himself to look away from Lance’s long fingers, and back up at his eyes when he spoke. “Second: do you wanna hang out before world history? We can grab some lunch.”

Keith hesitated at that, caught off guard. It was a full two hours until their next class. What did Lance expect them to talk about in that long amount of time?

Lance seemed to notice Keith’s hesitance, and he looked like he was backtracking.

“I mean… unless you’ve got something else you gotta do?”

“Uh… no, I don’t… have anything, that is.”

Lance brightened once again. “Oh! Okay. So is that a yes?”

Keith smiled. “Yeah… sure.”

Lance’s grin widened, if possible. Keith wasn’t sure he’d get used to it.

“Cool! Let’s go. It’s chicken dumpling day in the Dining Hall, and I’m not gonna miss it.”

* * *

 The biggest mystery in the entire universe was how Lance McClain managed to be so goddamn skinny when he ate more than an entire herd of elephants.

“That can’t be healthy,” Keith spoke in distaste as he watched Lance pile loads and loads of carb-filled foods onto his two plates. It was two slices of pizza and five garlic knots, at the moment. The other plate was filled with dumplings and rice.

“Don’t tell me how to live my life,” Lance joked.

“I’m not. I'm genuinely concerned for your health.”

“You’re just jealous that I have better taste than you,” Lance spoke with a smile and a pointed glance at Keith’s plate.

He looked down at his wrap, hummus, and salad, then back up at Lance. “ _This_ is a well balanced meal.”

“It’s _boring_ , that’s what it is,” Lance opposed as he finally finished in the Italian section, and went to go look for a table. Keith followed, not without a roll of his eyes.

They managed to snag a booth, by some miracle, in the crowded dining hall. Lance set down his food, and when Keith sat and put his plate down Lance quickly leaned over and took it, holding it in the air.

“Hey!” Keith exclaimed, reaching for it.

“First, try these dumplings,” Lance insisted.

Keith frowned. “No thanks.”

“What, are you vegetarian?”

“No….”

“Any allergies?”

“Only to people that take my food away.”

“So that’s a no?”

Keith gave him a look. Lance just smiled.

“Then you have no excuse!” he decided as he pushed the plate of dumplings towards Keith, then handed him his fork. He put Keith’s food far out of his reach, and Keith frowned, giving Lance a deadpan stare. He was met with a laugh, and then Lance was putting a fork in Keith’s hand.

“C’mon,” he insisted, “live a little!”

“If I try it you’ll give me my plate back?”

“Definitely.”

Not sure he could trust him, but encouraged by his earnest blue eyes, Keith finally relented (when was the last time he relented to _anything?_ ) and stabbed Lance’s fork into a dumpling, earning a horrified look.

“Sheesh, dude, don’t take it out on the food.”

Keith ignored him, and took a bite. Lance stared at him expectantly, eyes wide and excited.

_“Well?”_

Shit. It _was_ good. But Keith wasn’t about to let Lance know that, and honed in his poker face. He shrugged, finishing the last of it and then handing Lance his fork back.

“It’s fine.”

Lance smirked at that, and took the plate of dumplings, piercing one with his fork. “It’s okay, Keith, you can admit that they’re amazing and I’m right.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Keith replied, reaching out an expectant hand for his food back. Lance gave in, pushing the plate over. Keith picked up his wrap, and glanced from it up to Lance. The taller boy caught him staring, and his lips quirked slightly.

“What?”

Keith shrugged self-consciously, putting his food back down on his plate.

“So… the deal we made,” he began, eyes flitting to Lance’s before looking at the table, then back up. “What does that… _entail_ , exactly?”

Lance blinked, and he seemed flustered for a moment. “Uh, well… uhm, obviously we don’t gotta keep up the act when we’re not around Rolo. And… we don’t have to do anything uncomfortable, y’know? I can just use the excuse that you don’t like PDA.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. _“_ Why _me?”_

Lance laughed nervously. “Uh, well, Rolo already knows that doesn’t apply to me.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

“I mean, if you’re opposed, then we _could_ just casually make out every time we bump into him.”

“I suddenly hate PDA…” Keith murmured as he picked his wrap back up, and took a bite. Lance laughed.

“Ouch. It wouldn’t be that bad, would it?” he asked, prodding Keith’s foot with his own under the table, trying to gather his attention. “If it came down to that?”

Keith shrugged, refusing to meet Lance’s eyes as he felt his cheeks warm. “Let’s just make sure it doesn’t.”

“Fair enough. But, uhm, yeah- I’m not gonna ask you to do anything more than some classic hand-holding. Some couple-y cuddles and touches. You could throw in a fond gaze every now and then--”

“I’m going to fake break up with you,” Keith deadpanned.

“But we’re such a beautiful fake couple!” Lance protested. Keith ignored him.

“So, anything else I might have to do?”

“Uh, I dunno… maybe some double dates? With Rolo and the girl he's seeing....”

Keith’s eyebrows knit together. “What’s your overall goal? With the whole fake boyfriend thing.”

Lance shrugged. “I want to get him jealous, and win him back.”

Keith frowned, and Lance’s eyes dodged away. “Not that it’s any of my business, but if he doesn’t want to be together, maybe that’s for the best?”

Lance looked irritated, eyes stormy. He crossed his arms. “You’re right, it’s not your business.”

“All I’m saying,” Keith insisted, “is that… I dunno. Don’t you think you could do better?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Lance… I don’t really know you, but you seem nice. Rolo is just kind of a dick.”

Lance grew defensive. “How would you even know that, anyways?”

Keith frowned. He didn't necessarily want to get into this, but if it'd change Lance's mind....

“Back in freshman year, Pidge had a class with him, and they were partnered up for a project--”

“Pidge?”

“My roommate.”

“Oh.”

“But, anyways… he left all the work for Pidge to do. He promised he’d do his share, then the night before the project when he was supposed to send his work to them, he flaked. He didn’t answer their calls, texts, or emails. It was at least a week’s worth of work. Pidge had to pull an all nighter to get it done, and didn’t have time to study for a test for a different class. They failed that test so they could turn in the project.”

Lance blinked. “Really?”

Keith was fuming at the memory, recalling Pidge’s hysteric state. It was the first and only time he’d seen them cry, and Keith had felt so powerless, wanting to help but unable to. Pidge had to physically stop Keith from finding Rolo and beating the shit out of him. Keith took a deep breath, and shrugged halfheartedly. “Yeah.”

“Oh… I didn’t know.”

Keith backtracked, trying to remember his point before he got too upset. “All I’m saying is… you’re nice, and you could do better.”

Lance smiled slightly, but his eyes looked sad. “Thanks. And I’m sorry about your roommate. But I need to do this. I’m not over him, not yet. And, I dunno, it's been a couple years... maybe he’s changed?”

Keith was silent for a long time, trying to control his anger. He had no right to judge Lance, he knew that. Besides, when this was all over, the two of them would likely go their separate ways. Keith shouldn’t get too invested. This was just to get some free tutoring.

“Fine,” he sighed. “We’ll try.”

“Thanks,” Lance spoke, voice genuine and soft.

Keith shrugged. “So, what exactly made you choose me?” he asked, and Lance grew red.

“You’re the only person I know in class,” he admitted.

“Really?”

Lance seemed self-conscious. “Yeah, man.”

“And you just assumed I was gay?”

“Well… aren’t you?” Lance spoke, gesturing to Keith's backpack. Keith looked at it, and saw the bright rainbow of the woven lanyard keychain he'd gotten when he'd joined Pidge at the university's LGBT club freshman year. 

Right. It's not like Keith was really hiding it.

“Oh... I mean, yeah," he finally answered, looking back at Lance and meeting satisfied eyes.

“Then there we go.”

Keith frowned, going silent for a moment. “So why didn’t you just ask me in art that day? You would’ve avoided that whole awkward mess in the halls.”

“It wasn’t _that_ awkward.”

“Lance. You were there. You know it was terrible.”

That earned him a laugh. “Well, yeah. Uh, I guess I was hoping it wouldn’t have to come down to that? That Rolo would just forget I told him I was dating someone. And, I guess I didn’t really notice you were in history with me, too?”

“Ah.”

“Which is excusable, by the way, because _you_ had absolutely no idea who I was, at all!”

Keith blushed, then looked down. “Yeah.”

“We sit right next to each other in art. We were partnered in an assignment together.”

“I’m just… not good with names? Or faces. Or, uh, people.”

"I'll say," Lance laughed, no trace of animosity held in the action. Keith relaxed. 

It was silent. How long had they been sitting here? Keith looked out the window they sat by, at the students that milled about campus. It was cloudy outside. It’d rain, soon. Keith wondered absentmindedly if he’d parked his bike in the school’s garage, or over by his dorm. He’d have to check.

“Can we talk about the fact that we apparently live right down the hall from each other?” Lance spoke.

Keith looked back at Lance, and smiled. “Yeah. It’s pretty weird.”

Lance leaned forward, taking a bite of one of his pizzas. He chewed and swallowed before he spoke. “This is my first year in the upperclassmen dorm, since I’m a Junior. So I’m new to the building, I guess. What year are you?”

“Same as you.”

“Oh, cool! Why haven’t I ever seen you, then?”

“Maybe you did, and just didn’t notice,” Keith suggested.

“Nah. I always recognize faces. We really should’ve met at some point. Weren’t you at the RA’s orientation meeting?”

“Nope.”

“But it wasn’t optional! There was a sign in.”

“I had Pidge sign my name.”

“Ugh. That’s smart. I should’ve done that.”

“I’m talented in the art of avoiding people,” Keith joked, finishing up his wrap, then picking up his fork and working on his salad. Lance was halfway done with his own food, and he was suddenly quiet, as if he was contemplating something.

“So… you’re not opposed to it, right?” he spoke shyly. “Doing the whole double date thing, and… well, all of it?”

Keith gave Lance a smile. “I’m getting tutoring out of it.”

“Yeah, but--”

“Trust me. It’s fine,” Keith reassured. Lance seemed to exhale, returning back to his cheery self.

“I promise not to make it weird.”

“It’s gonna be weird regardless, I think.”

“Well, _yeah_ , but I’ll make it as not-weird as I can.”

Keith laughed. “Thanks?”

Lance gave him a wink at that. “Anytime, fake-bae.”

“Ugh. Please don’t.”

“What? I need a cute nickname for you!” Lance protested.

“I think the ‘fake’ part might be suspicious.”

“So I should just call you ‘bae’, then?”

Keith scrunched his nose in disapproval. “No. Absolutely not.”

“Hmm… what about ‘honey’?”

“No.”

“Sugar?”

“ _No._ ”

“Dear?”

_“Lance.”_

“How about ‘babe’?”

Keith’s eyes went wide, and he felt his face heat up. He tried to hide behind a hand, but Lance (of course) caught him.

“ _Oooo_ , you like that one, don’t you?” Lance teased, nudging Keith’s foot, again. Keith kicked him sharply, earning an “ _Ow!”_

“Didn’t you _just_ promise me you wouldn’t make this weird?” Keith snapped.

“It’s not weird! We’re talking strategy, here! Believability is the most important aspect of this whole thing!”

“God, just- shut up. Stop talking.”

“Anything you say, babe- _OW!”_

* * *

When they got to class, Lance walked Keith to his seat. He tried to ignore their close proximity, but Lance was making that damn near impossible- pressing his arm against Keith’s, and smiling as bright as the goddamn sun. Keith tried not to glare at Lance in response to any of his over-the-top flirting, and it was becoming downright painful. He felt almost relieved when they made it to his seat, and Lance was getting ready to go sit with Rolo.

Then, Lance did something totally unprompted.

“Hey, I’m gonna touch your face real quick,” he warned, and Keith blinked.

 _“What-”_ he began, but then Lance was reaching out, and brushing a strand of hair off of Keith’s cheek before tucking it behind his ear.

If Keith could spontaneously combust, he would’ve. Instead, though, he just stood there, eyes wide and face undoubtedly red.

Lance gave him a wink, hand cupping his cheek, now. He was smiling so fondly, Keith had a hard time believing the whole thing was an act. Up until the moment he saw Lance’s eyes quickly flit over to the back of the room. “See you after class,” he spoke before pulling away. He walked up the lecture hall stairs, and to his seat.

It took Keith a moment to gather his wits before he sat down, burying his bright red face in his hands and trying to calm the quick pace of his heart.

What the _fuck_ was that?!

Keith dropped his hands, seething. He tried to pay attention when the professor walked in and greeted the class, but his mind was a chaotic mess.

_What had he gotten himself into?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed!  
> rant to me about space gays on my tumblr: spacegaykogane  
> Expect a new chapter next week:)


	3. On the Feeling of Flying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's definitely not next week.  
> Regardless of my unfulfilled promises of which we can fully blame writer's block and laziness for, enjoy the chapter! Made it extra long as an apology <3

The library was dull, dull, dull, and Lance couldn’t begin to imagine why Hunk always insisted they studied there. Well, if by study Lance meant stare out the giant arched window that overlooked the old wooden table they were currently sat at, while _Hunk_ studied. He thumbed the side buttons to his phone where it sat in his free hand.

It was cloudy. Lance hoped it’d rain. Hunk suddenly spoke.

“Hey, you know I’m your best friend in the entire universe and always have your best interests at heart, right?”

Lance arched an eyebrow, chin still propped in his palm. “Yeah?”

“And, as _my_ best friend, you will seriously consider anything I might say to you?”

A tired sigh left Lance’s lungs. “What is it, Hunk?”

Elbows leaned onto the table, and Hunk met Lance’s gaze. His kind eyes were serious and caring, just like they always got when he was about to lecture Lance on something. After being friends for over fifteen years, it wasn't very hard for Lance to recognize “The Many Faces of Hunk” (some of which were reserved specifically for him). He could write a book on them.

“Don’t do the double date,” Hunk advised, and when Lance started to roll his eyes, he continued, lowering his voice so as not to bother the students that filled the room. “This whole thing is bad news, man.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Lance replied. “Just bowling.”

It was Hunk’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Then why haven’t you texted Keith about it, yet?”

Lance shrugged. “I dunno,” he murmured.

Except he _did_ know. It was the way Rolo had done it- the way he had invited Lance out to join him and Nyma. Through text, like it meant nothing, even after he’d shamelessly flirted with Lance after class on Wednesday.

Rolo had taken Lance out to dinner just last night. They’d gone into town, then took a long walk so Rolo could show Lance around his favorite part of the city. It was the most they’d ever talked, and Lance found himself falling harder and more desperately, if that was even possible. Rolo took full control over their evening- he picked Lance up at his dorm (and tried to exchange a kind greeting with Hunk, only to earn a glare), drove them around, and chose the restaurant they’d go to- a bustling, artsy sort of two-level shack with _really_ great food. He even paid the tab.

He was acting nicer to Lance than he ever had during their fling. And Lance, like an idiot, had gotten his hopes up. He thought that something would happen- that Rolo would tell him he'd made a mistake, and that they’d get back together and all would be right with the world. Lance truly thought he’d won him back. But he hadn’t, and Rolo had dropped him back off at his dorm later that night, giving him a smile, a way-too-friendly hug, and telling him he’d text him.

Hunk had dealt with the repercussions, suffering through three back to back watchings of _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ , and entertaining Lance’s many theories on _what it could all possibly mean._

Ever since Lance introduced his new “boyfriend” to Rolo, he’d been far more insistent on being a present factor in Lance’s life.

And Lance _should’ve_ felt good about it. He _should_ be happy. This was a great sign, right? It meant everything was going according to his plan. Well- it was at least going _somewhere._

But Nyma was still a present factor. And, though Lance’s goal was to get them to eventually split up, he didn’t want Rolo to cheat. Ironically, he couldn’t live with himself if it got to that.

He just wanted Rolo to finally make the decision- to choose _Lance._ He wanted to _earn it._

Though it had only been a few days since he’d introduced Rolo to Keith, Lance thought he’d make _some_ progress, by now. He thought he'd get more of a sign- would be able to read Rolo's reaction, and know for sure whether he was jealous or not. Then he would've been able to act on that, and this whole thing would be over with. Except all he got was empty flirting, and a text this morning from Rolo that consisted of him gushing about Nyma, and insisting Lance should meet her.

And that’s how he found himself agreeing (on behalf of both Keith and himself) to bowling on Saturday.

“You need to tell him,” Hunk spoke.

“I will in person. When we study, today.”

Hunk frowned. “He’s really alright with this?”

“Yeah, man, he’s getting tutoring out of it. He’s fine.”

Lance tried to avoid his roommate's gaze, but he still heard an evident sigh. Hunk slid his books to the side, and spoke, "You should end this whole thing while you still can- before the lie spirals out of control, and you dig yourself into a hole you can’t get out of.”

“That’s not gonna happen--”

“He’s playing with you,” Hunk insisted, and when Lance turned to look at him, those brown eyes desperately searched his. Hunk's voice was raised, and he didn’t even bother to lower it, this time. “It hasn’t even been a week since you two broke up, and he’s already messed with you _so_ much. This is just some  _game_ to him- why can’t you see that?”

Lance’s heart sank. Then, when he tried to speak, it jumped up to his throat and wedged itself there. He swallowed hard, face heated with shame and nose tingling before he glared at Hunk, warning him not to continue.

“I know what I’m doing.”

“No. I'm sorry, Lance, but I don’t think you do. You’re playing right into his manipulative scheme. He’s keeping you as a backup plan- all he wants from you now is the attention.”

“You don’t know that- you don’t know _him,”_ Lance snapped, tears burning his eyes. Before Hunk could say anything more, Lance stood up jerkily, and gathered his things.

“I gotta go get ready. I’ll see you later.”

Hunk’s mouth flattened into a line, and he crossed his arms. Lance didn't need to look at him to know he was getting the "I'm Disappointed in You" look.

“Right. See you.”

* * *

Lance shoved one last textbook into his overstuffed backpack, and quickly observed the contents one more time to make sure he had everything he needed for tonight.

Laptop for the professor’s PowerPoints: check.

Notebook filled with Lance's notes on the lectures: check.

Flashcards (of which Lance had worked _very_ hard on this morning) to study with: check.

Both of the class textbooks: check.

Highlighters, pens, and other tools to help Keith make the best study guide he's ever seen? Check, and done.

As he hauled his backpack onto his shoulders, Lance swiped his keys and wallet from his desk, and walked towards the door, hesitating a moment. Feeling a split second of doubt, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, and scrolled through his messages with Keith.

He'd asked Lance to stop by his dorm. Room 226, at four o'clock.

It was three fifty... it'd be fine if Lance stopped by now, right? He was feeling antsy and sick with nerves after his argument with Hunk, and found he couldn't keep still (even more so than usual). And there was nothing more left for him to do in his dorm. Keith wouldn't mind if Lance was just a few minutes early….

Yeah. Definitely. There was nothing wrong with that.

Smoothing a clammy palm over his chest, Lance put his wallet and keys in his bag, and walked out the door.

The dorm halls were normally empty this time of the week, and today was no exception. People were either sleeping, out having fun, or stuck in a Friday class. There was no usual buzz of energy in the lounge, or the smell of some strange meal someone had cooked wafting from the community kitchen- no echo of voices bouncing loudly along the corridor.

When Lance reached Keith's room, he hesitated at the door. It was labelled with the stickers the RA had given to each resident: "Keith" and "Pidge" were scrawled onto the two alien heads that looked like knockoff versions of the ones from _Toy Story_. They'd all gotten some of these colorful foam cutouts- Lance and Hunk had asked for Woody and Buzz. But Lance had yet to see a door with only aliens. He smiled at the quirk, imagining Keith and his anonymous roommate with tinfoil hats.

Feeling his nerves die down, Lance reached a hand out to knock on the door, then paused, pulling it back and placing his palm flat on his chest again, running it up and down.

_Just knock on the door. Knock on it! He's expecting you, and tonight is going to go fine._

Giving a quick nod, Lance took a deep breath- felt his lungs expand under his fingers, and then reached out, and rapped his knuckles against the door.

"One sec!" an unfamiliar voice called out. Lance blinked and stepped back at it, caught off guard.

The door opened to reveal an incredibly short person with big, round glasses and crazy brown hair. Freckles were smattered over their nose, and dusted along their cheeks. They were clad in a white _X-Files_ "I Want to Believe" shirt, and Lance had to hold back his laughter at his correct assumption. He figured this was Pidge.

Light brown eyes measured Lance, looking him up and down before meeting his gaze.

"I think you've got the wrong room," Pidge spoke.

"Uh," Lance started, "Keith lives here, right?"

Pidge looked taken aback, eyes widening, then squinting suspiciously. Their tone grew cautious, and he could see them getting ready to close the door. "Yeah...? Why?"

Lance gave an easy smile. "I'm his tutor."

At that, Pidge's guard dropped and a sly smile lifted their lips, eyes growing devious- sparkling and lively with mischief. They stuck out a hand.

"I'm Pidge. Nice to meet you...?"

"Lance," he replied, shaking Pidge's hand.

"Come in, Lance. Keith went to the kitchen a couple minutes ago. He should be back any second."

Lance nodded, following Pidge into their room, and allowing himself to look around as they continued on. There were all sorts of plants on the windowsill, mostly cacti and succulents, and a bunch of posters on the walls. These posters mainly consisted of planet charts, UFO’s, and one for the movie _Aliens_ , with Sigourney Weaver looking badass, a nasty alien lurking behind her. Lance smiled as he walked further into the room.

"You know, I don't think Keith remembered your study session was tonight," Pidge mused, a smile on their face as they plopped down on their bed (the one to the right of the room, and covered in a messily bunched up forest green comforter). They gestured to a desk chair by their bed, and Lance took off his backpack, dropping it to the floor. His brows furrowed at Pidge’s statement.

“Why’s that?” he asked, picking up a red sweater from the cushion of the chair (he figured it was Keith’s, as it was too long to be Pidge’s), and hung it on the back before before plopping onto the seat.

"Well, for one, we were in the middle of binging _X-Files_ ," Pidge explained, gesturing to a rather large computer screen that sat on a desk at the foot of Pidge’s bed, with a Netflix episode paused on it. The monitor was turned to face Pidge where they sat. "Hence my shirt and, well, his."

Lance raised an eyebrow at that, a smile tugging at his lips. _"His?"_

Pidge smiled back, obviously pleased with Lance's response. "Oh, you'll see."

Letting out a laugh, Lance could feel his tension from the day slowly start to fade. He glanced over at Keith's side of the room, trying to be inconspicuous as he took in a dark red comforter, accompanied with two small navy blue pillows. His bed was made, blankets tucked in and everything, and Lance couldn't remember the last time he saw someone's bed fixed up so perfectly neat. Or at all, really. Not even Hunk- in all his neat freak glory- kept his bed made.

"So," Pidge continued, prying Lance's attention away from Keith's things. "How'd you meet Keith?"

Lance blinked, focusing on brown eyes. "Uh, we're in the same art class. We sit next to each other."

Pidge hummed. "And what made you decide to tutor him for free?"

Lance chuckled nervously. "Is this an interrogation?"

Pidge shrugged. "Just some standard best friend questions. It's protocol, really. I make no exceptions for anyone Keith has stop by."

Lance grew curious. "Does he have a lot of people come over?"

Pidge looked thoughtful, mouth screwed as they took a pause. "Huh. Not really. His brother?"

"Keith has a brother?"

Pidge went silent. "So you really _don't_ know him too well."

Before Lance could reply to the odd statement, the door opened, and in walked Keith, arms filled with a giant bowl of popcorn, a bag of gummy bears, and two sodas. He paused upon seeing Lance, his eyes widening.

"Lance? What're you...?"

Lance raised an eyebrow, giving Keith a teasing smirk. "Forget our study session, buddy?"

At that, Keith looked shocked, then panicked, going over to Pidge to shove the snacks in their arms, then pulling his phone from his pocket to undoubtedly check the time. Lance took the moment to look Keith over, taking in the black-frame glasses that sat on his nose, his grey athletic sweatpants, and black shirt with green font that read "The Truth Is Out There". On his feet were black ankle-rise socks with little neon green UFOs and purple aliens. Lance was surprised when he found them endearing.

 _"Shit,"_ Keith cursed. Lance laughed, and Keith fumbled with his excuse, "I'm so sorry, I completely lost track of time! I didn't even realize--"

"Don't sweat it. Wanna reschedule?" Lance asked, trying to mask how much he _didn't_ want that. Though he wasn't looking forward to bringing up the double date, Lance was secretly hoping to spend the evening with his new friend away from his empty dorm and eventual confrontation with Hunk. Keith shook his head, and Lance just noticed that his hair was tied into a ponytail, bangs clipped back, though some strands came loose. Keith followed Lance's gaze, and his hand went to tug his hair free as he spoke, cheeks flushing and eyes looking away. He yanked off his glasses and shoved them into his pocket.

"No. No, I can get ready now. Just, uh, gimme a minute," he insisted, eyes meeting Lance's, then turning to give Pidge a warning glare that Lance found terrifying, but Pidge replied to with a bright, cheeky smile.

"I'll keep your guest entertained!" Pidge offered while Keith went to his dresser, pulling out some clothes.

 _"No,_ you will not," Keith deadpanned before disappearing into the bathroom.

Pidge waved dramatic arms in their roommate’s direction, looking at Lance as they did so. "And that was Keith in his natural state! Don't you feel closer to him, already?"

"Like I've known him for years," Lance quipped.

Pidge smiled before leaning forward, propping their elbows on their knees. "So, where are you taking him for your date?"

"Tutoring."

"Is that not what I said?" Pidge asked innocently.

Lance smiled. "Just a bubble tea shop right outside of downtown. About thirty minutes away."

Pidge raised a brow. "That's quite the drive," they remarked. Lance shrugged.

"It's super worth it. My roommate and I always go there. It's our obsession."

"Who's your roommate?" Pidge asked, folding their legs under them, and leaning forward to give Lance their full attention.

"Hunk Garrett," Lance spoke. Pidge straightened up, disturbing the popcorn bowl where it sat on their bed. A few pieces flew out, landing on their comforter and the floor. They didn’t acknowledge it, eyes wide and excited.

"Hunk! He's in my Organic Chem class! Tall, really friendly and crazy smart?"

Lance smiled proudly. "That's him."

Pidge seemed excited, and they started to ramble. "I have this internal competition with him. We sit next to each other, and I kinda always sneak a look at his quiz scores to see which one of us did better. It's currently a tie. We’ve only had two quizzes so far, but I’ve already started studying for the next one so I can win. Uh, don't tell him I said that."

Lance smirked. "I'm totally gonna tell him, now."

Just as Pidge started to protest, Keith stepped out of the bathroom, tugging on a boot, and making his way over to his bed. He sat down, and laced it up.

"No rush, man," Lance teased, "Pidge and I are having fun talking about you."

Keith met Lance's eyes at that, and smiled slightly. "I could hear you two through the door. You were talking about your roommate."

Pidge snapped their fingers. "Damn. Almost had him."

"No you didn't," Keith replied in a monotone.

Lance laughed as Keith tugged on and laced his other boot. He stood up, grabbing his backpack. "Ready," he insisted, seeming eager to get Lance away from Pidge as soon as possible, for some reason. Pidge was awesome- Lance would've invited them to join if he didn't have to discuss a certain fake-date, tonight.

"Alright," Lance replied. "Nice meeting you, Pidge."

"You, too," they replied. As Lance and Keith walked towards the door, Pidge called after Keith. "I'm gonna eat your gummy bears!"

"Not all of them."

"Definitely all of them," Pidge retorted.

"Then you're buying more," Keith replied quickly before shutting the door behind him and Lance, and efficiently muffling Pidge's indignant retort.

Lance spoke up as they walked through the hall. "I like Pidge. They're cool."

Keith smiled and rolled his eyes. "Don't tell them that. It'll get to their head."

Lance laughed in response, then took a moment to observe Keith. He was wearing a white t-shirt with the logo for some band written in black on the chest. It fit him well on the shoulders, then came loose around his waist. Lance's eyes roamed down as he took in Keith's tight black jeans, with a hole in the left knee. They were rolled above his black boots- a pair of Docs.

Lance knew Keith was good looking. That much was obvious- he had a sharp jaw, strong nose, and amazingly dark eyes that Lance could probably get lost in (he was a sucker for brown eyes). Not to mention his grunge look, which Lance would've otherwise deemed pretentious if it had been sported by anybody else. But it seemed to fit Keith, and added more to the whole intriguing vibe he had going on. Lance wanted to get to know him- to get past the unspoken barrier Keith seemed to establish. And he hoped that by the end of this whole thing, they could be good friends.

If he didn't let it get too awkward, that was. Usually, people don't come back as friends after dating- even if it is fake, Lance assumed. The closest he'd ever gotten to remaining friends with someone he'd been involved with was after he and Hunk had tried to see if they had any sort of romantic chemistry. Once in high school, at a sleepover at Lance’s place, they'd kissed while sprawled out on the floor watching a movie in Lance’s room. It was long and sweet, and one of the better kisses Lance has had. But afterwards, when they looked at each other and met eyes for a brief moment, they burst into laughter at the same time, giggling so hard about it that they had tears streaming down their face. They ended the day closer than ever- occasionally joking about how ridiculous they'd been.

But that was _Hunk._ He'd been Lance's best friend for as long as he could remember. Lance had only _just met_ Keith, and he knew somewhere deep down that remaining friends with him after their fake dating was over would probably be a difficult thing to achieve.

He frowned as he came to that realization, and almost jumped when Keith spoke.

"You're strangely quiet, tonight," he murmured, his voice low and careful.

Lance gave a reassuring smile. "Just got some stuff on my mind."

Keith hummed in response, then pushed against the door to the stairwell, holding it open for Lance. They walked down the stairs in relative silence, the echo of their footsteps bouncing against whitewashed walls. Lance crinkled his nose as the smell of old Chinese food greeted him. How that scent always managed to fill the stairwell was beyond him.

When they got outside, the night air was pleasantly warm- the weather still cloudy, and the sky white where it peeked at them from over the horizon. Lance knew it wouldn't last for long. Soon Autumn would come, and they'd all have to break out their warmer clothes and kiss Summer goodbye.

"I'm parked over there," Lance spoke up, pointing towards the right side of the small parking lot that accommodated their building. Keith nodded, and followed Lance towards his blue Mazda. He grabbed his keys from his pocket, and pressed on the unlock button. The tail lights flashed, greeting him, and Keith stalled for a moment.

"This is your car?"

"Yeah! You like it?"

Keith seemed to be flitting through correct responses.

“It’s very… blue.”

Lance snorted, then opened the backseat and tossed his bag in there. He reached out a hand for Keith's, and took it when he handed it over. 

“There's no way you can judge me- you _unironically_ own a motorcycle.”

He slammed the trunk closed with a cocky smile to accentuate his statement.

Keith looked indignant. "You can't compare the two!"

"Yeah, well, if I did, I'd have to say my car is better," Lance countered with a sly grin.

Keith let out a carefree laugh, and it caught Lance off guard. He had to take a moment to compose himself as Keith chuckled out his response. "Oh _no,_ we are not getting into this.”

"What? Afraid of a little challenge?" Lance called from over the body of the car before clambering into the driver seat. Keith followed suit, opening the door and climbing in. Once they were both sat down, he gave Lance a raised brow and playful smile.

"Never."

Lance smiled brightly.

"Good."

* * *

 The bubble tea shop was fairly busy. After taking a good five minutes to find a table, Lance and Keith placed their bags down to save their seats, and walked over to stand in line.

"So," Keith spoke above the chatter of people, "what’s the best thing here?"

Lance feigned shock, gasping dramatically as he placed a hand over his heart, and gazed at Keith with wide eyes. "That's like asking me which of my children I love most." He definitely noticed the eye roll that Keith gave him, and the small smile that tugged at his lips.

"What do you _recommend_ , then?"

"Well, it depends. Do you want something sweet, or a more natural flavor?"

"Natural, I guess."

Lance leaned towards Keith, and pointed at the menu hung above the counter. "Then go for any of the fruit flavors right there. Except for Strawberry. The other fruits are real juice, but the strawberry is that artificial junk. They also have honey jasmine, or lavender. With all those flavors, you should definitely use green tea. And you can add some milk--"

"Can't drink milk."

"Why not?"

"I'm lactose intolerant."

"Oh! Well, they have soy milk?"

Keith blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah! And it tastes better with it, in my opinion."

Keith looked thoughtful as he squinted at the board. Lance remembered Keith’s glasses, and reminded himself to tease him about it, later. "Yeah, okay," Keith murmured.

“You figure out what you’re gonna go for?” Lance asked.

“Probably the jasmine one,” Keith decided. They were reaching towards the front of the line, and when they got to the register Lance side-stepped in front of Keith and placed their orders, handing his card to the cashier.

He could feel an elbow nudging into his side, and heard a sharp  _"Lance."_

He played dumb, turning to Keith and giving an innocent look. "Yes?"

Keith crossed his arms, expression blank. "I can pay for myself."

"What kind of fake boyfriend would I be if I didn't buy you a drink?"

Keith frowned. "This isn't a date."

"Sure it is! A _study_ date."

"Lance…."

He got his card back from the waitress, who gave the both of them an adoring look, signed the receipt, and they went off to the side to wait for their drinks. "Relax," he insisted when he noticed Keith still wearing a frown. "I wanted to pay. I'm the one that suggested this place. If you hate the drink, I wouldn't want you to have wasted your money on it."

Keith leaned against a wall as they waited. He crossed his arms, again.

"I've got next time covered."

Lance smiled at that, and he even got a small one back.

"Sure thing."

* * *

They worked with the flashcards Lance made first, making their way through the thick deck as they drank their tea (Keith actually seemed to love his, much to Lance's excitement). Currently, they were only halfway through the stack. It was mostly because Keith got every other question wrong, so they’d be forced to review it. However, Lance was patient, and took time to explain why and how each answer was the way it was. It involved a lot of going back through the first month of their lessons, and Lance could tell Keith was quickly growing frustrated.

So he decided to give him a break from the cards, made an outline of what they'd learned so far, and handed it over to Keith, asking him to fill out each varying section with as much as he could remember on the topics. That way, Lance would know what to cover. Keith seemed to appreciate that, and the tension eased from his shoulders as he took the paper and started jotting stuff down on it.

It had been about twenty minutes into that when Lance worked up the nerve to speak.

“So… how’re your bowling skills?”

Keith looked up, drawn away from his intense concentration, and blinked. His thick brows furrowed together.

“Huh?” he intelligently replied.

Lance took a sip from his tea, and swooshed around a tapioca pearl in his mouth. He took his time to reply, trying not to chicken out.

“Bowling. Are you good at it?”

“Uhm… I don’t know?” Keith replied, voice going high at the end of the statement.

Lance raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Well, uh, six-year-old me was great at it.”

Lance groaned. “Ugh, _Keith_ , that doesn’t count. If there’re bumpers up and the ball is two pounds, it’s not bowling.”

“Who knows. Maybe I’ve retained my skills,” Keith spoke, leaning back in his seat and taking his tea. He met Lance’s eyes. “Why do you ask, anyways?”

Lance fidgeted in his seat, playing with the straw in his cup. “Rolo invited us to bowl with him and Nyma, tomorrow. I, uh, kinda agreed we’d go.”

“Without checking with me?” Keith replied, though he didn't seem very upset- just teasing.

“I wanted it to seem like I knew your schedule! Also, the more coupley-stuff we do in front of him, the more of a chance we have at ending this as soon as possible.”

Keith frowned, and he leaned onto the table, looking down at his outline. He was silent for a moment before he spoke. “I didn’t think we’d have to do the double dating until later…. Do you really think we can be believable?”

“Totally! All we have to do is be so cute that Rolo will get super jealous and want me back.”

Keith smiled slightly at that. “Is that all?”

“I'm irresistible. He'll be crawling back to me soon enough.”

“And you’re _sure_ we can pull this off?”

“Positive."

Keith wasn't convinced. "What if he asks questions we don't know how to answer?"

Lance shrugged. "Guess we just gotta get to know each other."

Keith looked even more unsettled than before, drawing into himself and behind that barrier, so Lance quickly stepped in.

"For now, maybe we can just settle on a 'how we met' story?"

Keith nodded, and visibly relaxed. "Yeah. Sounds good."

"Okay... so Rolo knows we're in the same art class. We could say we had study sessions after class for a while, then hooked up around the beginning of September?"

Keith nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

Lance smiled and leaned forward, propping his chin on his hands. "What should our first date have been?"

"Uh..." Keith stammered, seeming like he was genuinely trying to think of something good, "the movies?"

Lance snorted, and Keith looked annoyed. "Wow, you're really bad at this."

"What?" Keith exclaimed. "Everyone goes to the movies!"

Lance rolled his eyes. "It's the most un-romantic date you can take anyone on."

_“How?”_

“Where should I start? It’s like deliberately saying ‘Hey, I don’t really want to get to know you, but I definitely _would_ like the opportunity to feel you up. Don’t care about seeing your face, either, let’s just get shroud in darkness and grope for ten to twenty dollars--”

“Okay. I get it,” Keith interrupted.

“It’s literally the saddest place you could take someone on a first date,” Lance concluded.

"Tell that to the people who go there all the time," Keith murmured under his breath. Lance chose to ignore it.

"A movie date isn't going to make Rolo jealous. It has to be something romantic."

Keith rolled his eyes. Lance chose to ignore that, too. "Well, what do you suggest?"

Lance shrugged. "I dunno...."

Letting out a sigh, Keith leaned onto the table. He didn’t meet Lance's eyes when he spoke.

"Okay. So we met in art class, which isn't a lie. How about... you can tell him you took me to the art museum in downtown?"

Lance blinked, shocked. He smiled. "That's actually not half bad."

Keith met Lance's eyes, then looked back down at his work. He picked up his abandoned pencil, and started writing, again. After a moment, he spoke.

"You figure out the specifics, then let me know what we're going with."

Still smiling, Lance nodded. "Okay."

They studied for three more hours before they decided to call it a night. It was sunset, and they’d covered just about everything Lance had wanted to. With legs cramped from sitting, and attention spans that had been worn to their full extent, they finally went home. It was in the car on the drive back when Lance laid out their full backstory.

“So we’d been sitting next to each other in class for pretty much a month, right? We talked to each other now and then, started having some study sessions after classes, but didn’t really make any moves. As soon as September came around, I started talking to you. I mention the museum, you say you’ve never been, and so I take you that day after our classes. It works, because Rolo and I started seeing each other on weekends, around that time. So we went to the museum, went out afterwards and got some food- sandwiches at that cafe, Quiznaks, if they ask- and then took a walk through the city. We can say we had our first kiss, then.”

Keith was silent for a second, processing it all as Lance drove them down the highway. “Wow. You, uh, really thought this out.”

“You kidding? There’s still tons of gaps that need filling. But just leave those details to me. As long as we know the basics, we should be fine.”

Keith nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

“It shouldn’t be too hard. We’ve got the excuse of being a fairly new couple, so we don’t need too much background. We can pull this off.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Lance nudged Keith playfully. “Hey, uh- thanks for this, by the way. If it’s ever too much, just let me know and we can stage a super dramatic break-up,” he joked. He realized when he said it, though, that he really didn’t want that to happen. He liked hanging out with Keith.

The other boy smiled. “I don’t quit easily.”

Street lights flashed, illuminating the car for a moment. Lance met Keith’s eyes for a brief second, detecting the resolve in them.

“You sure?” he asked anyways. 

A low thrum of music spilled from Lance’s playlist, muffled slightly by the noise of the car’s engine.

“Positive.”

Lance smiled, and they remained in a content silence for a moment. Keith looked out the window as Lance drove. The sun was mostly set, and in the strip of sky that underlined the clouds, it was a dark purple of twilight.

“Okay, so… I can tell you don’t wanna share much about yourself,” Lance spoke up, “so how about I tell you stuff about me, and you interrupt whenever you want?”

Keith hesitated. “Sure.”

“Cool. Uh, I’ve got a big family. Two brothers, three sisters, my grandparents, my parents, and my niece and nephew. I’m the youngest sibling. I’m not gonna bother naming all my family members right now, because you probably won’t remember it, but that’s okay. Uh, they all live one state away, down in New Hampshire. We’ve got this pretty big house- not huge, but it’s in a nice suburb. My roommate Hunk and I grew up in the same place, he’s just a street over. We’ve been friends forever. Uhm… my favorite color is blue… though I bet you know that, by now…. I’ve probably seen every rom-com ever made…. I like to knit--”

“You knit?”

“Yeah! My _abuela_ taught me. She wanted to teach my sisters, but they didn’t have the patience for it and gave up. I wanted to learn really bad, though, so she taught me, instead.”

Lance looked over, catching Keith smiling, his eyes almost fond. “That’s… nice.”

Lance smiled back before looking back at the road. “Well, go ahead.”

“What?”

“Tell me something about your family.”

Keith was silent. “Uh… they live on the other side of the country… over in Oregon. So, pretty far away.”

Lance hummed. “Siblings?”

“No.”

Lance furrowed his eyebrows. “But Pidge said you have a brother? That he stops by, sometimes.”

Keith seemed to bristle, taking a moment to recollect himself.

“That’s Shiro. He’s... a really close family friend, just introduces us as brothers.”

“Shiro… why does that sound familiar?” Lance mused.

Keith seemed grateful for the subject change. “He works on campus.”

Lance gasped, and Keith jumped. “OH- oh my god, no, _the engineering professor?”_

“Yeah?”

“Keith, _no,_ you can’t _do this_ to me--”

 _“What?”_ Keith snapped.

“Oh my god. He’s so hot. Your brother is so hot.”

Keith sighed, exasperated. “He’s not my brother.”

"Whatever, man. He’s super hot- you gotta introduce me, some day."

Keith laughed, now. “Yeah, sure.”

“Really?”

He shrugged. “Yeah. He stops by a lot. You’ll probably meet him really soon.”

“Oh my god. Keith. This is so much stress- I won’t know when I’ll be meeting him, I gotta look my absolute best every single day until I do.”

Keith snorted. “Well I hate to break it to you, but he’s got a girlfriend.”

Lance hummed. “I don’t doubt that. Still, I live to impress.”

It was quiet, and Lance looked over at Keith. The other boy met his eyes, and he offered up a smile.

“He’ll like you,” he determined.

Lance brightened, his lips stretched into a big grin.

“You think?”

“Yeah.”

Still smiling, Lance changed the subject.

“So. What’s your major? I never asked.”

“Chemistry.”

“Cool! What do ya wanna do with that?”

Keith shrugged. “I’m thinking chemical engineering.”

“That sounds awesome. Hunk is a biochem major. Sorta close, I guess. Hey, what does Pidge do?”

“They’re in biochem, too. And computer science.”

“Ah, that’d explain how they met Hunk,” Lance realized.

“What’s your other major?” Keith asked. Lance glanced at him with a brow raised in question. “The other day,” he explained, “you said art education was one of your majors. What’s the other?”

“Huh, I didn’t think you’d remember that. Uh, I’m in astrophysics. They’re super different, I know. I'm just a man of many passions, and couldn’t choose. But it looks like we’re all science geeks.”

Keith smiled. “Seems so.”

“I think we’ve all been brought together by The Force, or something.”

Keith laughed. “Yeah, something like that.”

They were off the highway, now, and heading down the road towards their campus. Lance drummed his fingers on his steering wheel, then spoke.

“What kind of music do you listen to?”

Keith looked taken aback. “Uh… different stuff, I guess. I’m not that picky.”

Lance worked with him. “Okay, then, what do you hate?”

He seemed to think for a moment.

“Country music. And The Beatles.”

Lance almost slammed on the breaks, but instead took to tightening his hands on the wheel, and giving Keith an incredulous look.

 _“The Beatles?”_ he exclaimed.

“Yeah, yeah, I know- they’re legendary--”

“Uh, yeah! They are!” Lance defended.

Keith shrugged. “I just think they’re underwhelming, and way too over appreciated as a band. Their music is subpar, at best.”

Lance took a moment to control himself. It was probably a big no-no to yell at a new friend over The Beatles. “Keith, my man, you have got to let me change your mind.”

Keith gave Lance a look, and a smile that said “give up”. Lance met him with a silent “never”. They stared at each other for a beat. “I’m not easily swayed,” Keith insisted.

“One song,” Lance countered. “Just give me a bit to think of the perfect one, and you gotta give it a listen. Okay?”

A sigh met Lance’s ears. He waited patiently for a response.

“Fine. One song.”

Lance beamed. “You won’t be disappointed.”

“I’d better not be.”

They pulled into their campus, now, and drove to the dorm in silence. The quiet continued comfortably, broken only by a few exchanged words, until they got out the car, into their dorm, and up to their rooms.

Though it was further from the staircase than Lance’s room, Lance took it upon himself to walk Keith to his door. He told himself it was because he immensely enjoyed the face Keith made whenever Lance tried to do something cheesy, and the protest he’d blurt of “you’re not my real boyfriend, you know”, or something along those lines.

"So this bowling thing, tomorrow," Keith spoke. He leaned against his door, hands in his pockets. "What time is it?"

"Rolo wanted to meet there at seven, so I'd say we should be outta here by six thirty," Lance decided. He met Keith's eyes. "That okay?"

Keith nodded. "Sure. That's fine."

"Cool. Also, a quick warning: I’m definitely not trying to objectify you, because I respect you as my fake boyfriend, but tomorrow may mainly consist of me bragging to Rolo about how hot you look all night so I can get him mad jealous."

Keith laughed. "Oh my god. Shut up."

Lance smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Keith smiled back. "Yeah. Goodnight."

Then he opened his door and slipped away, and Lance walked to his room with a spring in his step. When he opened his door with a grin still plastered onto his face, Hunk instantly took notice, pausing the music emanating from his laptop so he could address his friend. He sat up straighter in his bed.

“What’re you so happy about?”

Lance paused, meeting Hunk’s teasing look.

He blinked, then tried to seem nonchalant, looking away and acting indifferent. “What do you mean?"

"The giant, goofy smile on your face."

Lance shrugged, and tried to hide the smile when it resurfaced. “That’s just my face.”

“Uh-huh. Sure, buddy.”

It was quiet as Lance changed out of his clothes, then sat on his bed. They remained in a heavy silence for a few minutes before Hunk spoke.

“I wanna apologize for what I said, earlier… I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

Lance fiddled with the hem of his shirt, tugging at a loose thread.

"It was way outta line," he murmured.

"I know, I’m sorry. I just hate seeing you get hurt."

“Yeah… It's alright. I’m sorry, too. I just- I _really_ need you to trust me on this, okay? I already know what I’m getting into, and I’m gonna try to be careful. I won’t let things with Keith get too far. I just... I need more closure, if anything. You get that, don't you?”

Hunk seemed tense. He eventually sighed. “Yeah. I do... I’m here for you if you need me.”

Lance smiled softly. “Thanks, buddy.”

It was quiet, again. Then Hunk spoke.

“So, when am I gonna meet your new boyfriend?”

“Ugh. Never. I feel like you’d like him too much.”

Hunk laughed. “How would that be bad?”

Lance flailed his arms in the air. “Because you two would team up against me! I can’t have that, Hunk. It’s too risky.”

Still chuckling, Hunk shook his head. “So you’ll introduce me soon, then?”

Lance smiled. “Yeah. Sure. _Maybe_ we could hang out with you and Shay?” he teased.

Hunk seemed flustered. “Shay and I aren’t dating.”

“Yet.”

_“Yeah….”_

“Well, neither are Keith and I. So if it goes bad we could make it a friends thing.”

“Lance….”

 _“Besides,”_ Lance continued, “you’ve been dying to ask her out. And we _both_ know she’s been waiting for you to. Maybe it’ll make it easier if we hang out as a group? Break the ice a little?”

Hunk smiled then, easing up. “Yeah… actually, that doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.”

Lance grinned, stretching and putting his arms behind his head. He let out a content sigh. “I have my moments,” he bragged.

“Yes you do.”

“So you’ll do it?”

“Yeah, okay. Sure.”

 _“Soon?”_ Lance insisted.

“If I haven’t done it by the end of the week, then my half of the DVD’s are yours.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “The _Star Wars_ collection, too?”

Hunk seemed internally pained. “Yes. Those, too.”

Lance smiled deviously, crossing over to Hunk’s bed, and reaching out a hand, his pinky extended. Hunk took it with his own, and they shook. It was unbreakable, now- they’d never dare to break their pinky promises, not in their entire friendship. “Deal.”

He’d soon have another date to confront Keith with. But, for some reason, all the nervousness Lance felt before didn’t make a return.

He was strangely… excited?

And he didn’t know how to feel about that.

* * *

 When Lance knocked on Keith’s door the next day, he was once again greeted by Pidge.

They turned around and called into their room.

“Keith! Your study buddy is here!” They turned to look at Lance, and held the door open wider. “You can come in.”

“Thanks,” he replied, following Pidge into the room.

“This is the second day in a row,” Pidge noted, “you two should really take a break from the books. It’s the weekend.”

“We’re actually going bowling,” Lance informed, shocked that Keith hadn’t told them.

Pidge raised an eyebrow, but before they could say anything, Lance saw Keith.

And he looked _good._

He was wearing black jeans (no holes, this time) and a denim shirt, the short sleeves rolled slightly, just enough so Lance’s eyes caught the lean and muscled form of Keith’s biceps, and _how did he not notice how strong Keith looked?_

He was so distracted he almost didn’t notice that Keith was tossing a jacket at him until it hit his chest. He just barely managed to catch it before it fell.

“You’re gonna need that,” he spoke, then bent to look under his bed, reaching for something.

Lance observed the jacket in his hands, holding it out before him. It was a hood-less green windbreaker of some sort, waist-lengthed, and warm. He raised an eyebrow as he met Keith’s eyes, who was standing now and holding--

Oh, _no._

Lance backed away from the helmets held in Keith’s hands.

“Keith… what are you doing?”

Keith smiled, and Lance knew it was a dangerous one. “I’m driving.”

Lance blanked.

“You mean… on your… your bike. Your motorcycle-bike.”

Keith looked like he was holding back laughter, now. Pidge wasn’t even trying to be so polite, and let out an indecent snort from their bed, where they sat watching the amusing spectacle.

“No, Lance, I mean my bicycle,” Keith replied sarcastically. Pidge snorted, again. Lance gave Keith a look.

“Ha- uh, well, there is no way I’m getting on a motorcycle.”

But Keith wasn’t paying attention, now. Instead, he handed the helmets to Lance, and was shrugging on his jacket- a black leather that fit his frame almost a bit too perfectly- emphasizing his slender waist and broad shoulders.

“Really? I thought you’d be on board. Especially since it’d probably make a certain someone pretty jealous.”

Lance blinked. Oh.

_Oh._

Keith was smart.

Lance swallowed hard, and he was going to reply, but Keith was already taking his helmet from Lance’s hand, and walking out the door. Lance was left with no other choice than to grasp onto his own helmet, pull on Keith’s jacket, and follow him out the room.

“Have fun, you two!” Pidge called from behind them as the door shut.

Lance caught up to Keith, falling into a stride next to him.

“I’ve never been on a motorcycle, before.”

“It’s pretty easy. You sit down and hold on.”

Lance gave Keith an incredulous look. “For the thirty minute drive?”

“I can cut that to twenty on my bike,” Keith retorted.

“Please don’t.”

Lance caught the smile that lifted Keith’s lips, and he hated him just a little bit more. Not actually, of course, but definitely in this moment.

“Do you not trust my driving, Lance?”

“Absolutely not. I feel like you’re one of those closeted adrenaline junkies.”

Keith didn’t reply to that, instead holding open the door to the stairwell with a kind smile on his face. Lance met his eyes with a cautious glare for a moment, then walked through the door.

“If you go above sixty-five on the highway, we’re no longer friends,” he threatened.

“Sure thing, buddy.”

* * *

When they got outside, Lance’s stomach was in knots. Keith led them to his bike, parked just around the corner of the dorm building. It was a sleek black, with red accents at the base.

Keith climbed on, pushed the kickstand in with the heel of his boot, and turned to look at Lance.

He patted the space behind him. “Hop on.”

Lance swallowed back the lump in his throat, and walked his shaky legs over to the bike, feeling dizzy and almost out of his body as he sat down behind Keith.

Keith tapped his fingers against Lance’s thigh, then gestured over to a footrest towards the back. “Feet go there.”

Lance did as he was told, propping up his feet. He felt gangly on the bike- how could it possibly drive two people? There was no way this would be safe--

“You got your helmet on?” Keith asked.

Lance shook his head, not trusting himself to speak, and put on the helmet. Keith spoke, again.

“Alright, hold on.”

Lance looked around him. “To _what?”_ his shaky voice replied. He supposed Keith could hear the nervousness in it, because he turned back to look at Lance for just a moment before he took his left hand, winding it around his waist. Lance’s fingers settled on Keith’s stomach, and he followed suit with his other arm, clutching onto Keith, and locking his fingers together where they pressed into the leather of his jacket. His body was tense and shaking against Keith's back, his heart pounding.

Keith’s gloved hand covered Lance’s for a moment. “Relax,” he spoke, “and trust me.” Lance nodded, unable to do much else. So Keith’s hand left his, and he put on his helmet. He started the engine, revving it just a bit to feel Lance jump with shock. He laughed, and he sounded so  _excited_ _-_ like a child on Christmas.

 _Ay Dios,_ if Lance's mom could see him, now. He’d never hear the end of it.

“You good?” Keith called over the spur of the engine.

“Yeah,” Lance breathed. “Let’s go.”

It was all the encouragement Keith needed, and they were off, leaving the parking lot and easing onto the main road. Keith wasn’t going too fast, but Lance still found himself holding on for dear life, burying the visor of his helmet in Keith’s shoulder, feeling as though he'd fly off the bike at even the slowest of turns. He didn’t try to look up when they sped up just the tiniest bit, and held on tighter (if possible), probably squeezing the life out of Keith.

Lance heard Keith laughing above the noise of the wind whipping at his helmet.

 _“I hate this!”_ Lance shouted. He wasn’t sure if Keith heard him, but he was greeted with another nearly-maniacal laugh.

They were on the highway, now, and sped down the road, weaving through traffic and no doubt going well over the speed limit. They just barely cut in front of a semi-truck before advancing down the highway, and Lance was too shocked to even shout out in fear.

He was right- Keith _was_ an adrenaline junkie. And Lance was going to kill him.

If Keith didn’t kill them both, first.

Despite his fear, however, once they'd been on the road for a few minutes, Lance started letting himself look around them, rather than keeping his face buried in Keith’s jacket.

The sunset was amazing- it painted the sky orange and purple beneath the thick clouds, and it felt almost as though they were flying straight into the blazing sun that lazily sank into the horizon.

Lance smiled.

Then he laughed, his heart soaring, fluttering up his chest and beating frantically against his ribcage. He laughed louder, now, a bubbling thing that escaped his chest in a hiccup.

If Keith heard him, he gave no indication of it.

Lance slowly grew more comfortable, smiling brightly as twilight engulfed the highway in darkness, chilling the night air and making the wind that slapped against his bare hands all the more numbing. The streetlights lit up, and they looked like blurry shooting stars as Keith sped past them, guiding them through this strange and ethereal universe.

This time when Keith sped up, Lance wasn’t afraid.

When he tightened his hold again, it was for another reason, entirely- one Lance wasn’t sure he could put a name to.

He chalked it down to happiness.

* * *

When they made it to the bowling alley, Rolo was waiting outside with Nyma. He definitely saw Lance cruising in on Keith’s bike, and Keith was _right-_ the look of jealousy on Rolo’s face was almost too rich.

Lance felt enthralled and ditzy from adrenaline and excitement.

When he got off Keith’s motorcycle, and his feet met firm land, he stumbled for a moment, his legs like jelly. Keith caught his elbow, and a low laugh met his ears.

“You good?” he asked.

Lance let out a convulsive giggle, his body trembling as the adrenaline left his veins. He took off his helmet, and Keith did the same, though he kept one hand on Lance’s arm until he was sure he was stable.

“You kidding? I’m great!"

Keith met Lance’s eyes, and a smile lifted his lips, his eyes amused- eyebrows drawn together.

“Alright. Let’s get over there and rub it in Rolo’s face.”

Lance laughed again, unable to help himself, and let Keith walk him to Rolo after storing the helmets in his bike. Halfway there, though, Lance bounded over, waving his arms.

“Rolo!”

Rolo put on a casual smile. “Hey, Lance.”

 _“Rolo_ , I rode a motorcycle!”

Rolo’s eyes met Keith’s, and his expression was hard to read. “I can see that.”

“It was so _terrifying?_ But so cool- Keith drives crazy fast, he could probably race professionally or something,” Lance babbled, giving Keith a big smile as he caught up to him. He reached out a hand to grab Keith by the waist, pulling him in and twining an arm around him. “Anyways, you gonna introduce me?”

Rolo blinked, then looked to Nyma. She was tall and blonde, and her green eyes looked Lance up and down before she offered a smile.

“I can introduce myself,” she interjected. “I’m Nyma.”

Lance smiled, not one step behind. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lance, and this Keith.”

Keith gave her an easy smile, a bit kinder than the challenging one he’d given Rolo when they met. However, Keith still looked as though he were on guard- more so than usual. This wasn’t his reserved sort of body language that Lance recognized- it was something different. He only barely noticed the way Keith’s gaze flickered to Rolo, and how he stepped just the tiniest bit closer to Lance.

“Nice to meet you guys,” Nyma spoke. “Now, you ready to get your asses handed to you?”

A competitive thrum burst through Lance, and he cracked a smile, giving Nyma his most confident look as he walked up to her, following her as she led them all inside. “Yeah, right. You’re dealing with a serious champion, here!”

“I’m honored to be in your presence,” she played along. “Maybe some of your greatness will rub off on me.”

Lance laughed, unable to help himself. Then he paused, a bad feeling worming itself in his gut. Damn. He didn’t expect Nyma to be nice.

“Well, steer clear because it’s been known to topple buildings with its sheer awesome force.”

Nyma laughed, and Lance beamed, unable to help himself. She was charming and pretty, and she seemed sweet. He felt something between admiration and jealousy churn within him at the same time.

Rolo seemed to have struck gold.

Speak of the devil, Rolo came up to Lance, nudging him to grab his attention, then letting their arms brush as they walked up to the front desk. Lance leaned towards him, meeting his eyes eagerly. He was completely entranced- it was like he honest-to-God couldn't help himself. 

“Nyma and I will get the lane, since we invited you guys out here, tonight,” Rolo kindly offered. Lance smiled.

“Then I’ve got food,” he countered.

Rolo gave him a fond smile, and Lance’s heart did little flips.

_Fuck._

“Alright. Meet up with you in a sec.”

Lance nodded, then turned around to find Keith, who met his eyes. He gave his friend a smile, and strode over to him.

“We gotta win.”

Keith’s smile matched Lance’s own. “Got it.”

They got their shoes, bowling balls, and ordered some pizza to the table at the lane Rolo had gotten them. They then separated into teams- Keith and Lance were “The KoClains”, after Keith had immediately shut down Lance’s idea of “The Bowl Jobs”. Lance moped about it for the good of five minutes before he got excited about their mesh name, stating they were “even better than Brangelina”, right before Keith reminded him that they broke up. Lance didn’t know whether to get emotional over the reminder, or to feel slightly unsettled by the possibility of foreshadowing. Regardless, he didn’t comment on it with anything other than a stoic “Tragic, really.”

Nyma had taken charge in naming her and Rolo’s team. They’d leaned in close to one another on their chairs, laughing as they whispered to each other and tried to decide. Lance watched them, jealousy burning in his gut.

Keith elbowed Lance gently, meeting his eyes. He didn’t say anything, but gave what Lance assumed was a comforting look. He smiled back, and tried to distract himself, his eyes trailing down to Keith’s blue denim shirt.

“You really look great,” he spoke, just loud enough for Keith to hear. “That light blue suits you.”

Keith’s eyes widened in shock, and he looked away, tugging at the end of his shirt nervously. Lance could’ve sworn he saw him blush.

“It’s Pidge’s. They leant it to me.”

“Huh. I like it.”

Keith looked up, meeting Lance’s eyes for a second before he looked away, again. He smiled.

“Thanks.”

Laughter caught Lance’s attention, and he looked over at Rolo and Nyma. They were looking up at the screen for their lane, so Lance looked up at it, too. They'd ended up putting down “The Real Winners” as their team name.

Lance looked over at the two, meeting their wide smiles, and gave them an unimpressed look.

“That’s gonna be really ironic when you lose.”

Nyma waved him over in a mock challenge. “Bring it on.”

“Oh, we will.”

Rolo and Nyma were up first. Nyma got a strike, and Rolo managed to get a spare- a very close call, at that. As the two finished their turn, Lance leaned into Keith from where they sat watching on their conjoined seats.

“You ready to show them up?” Lance asked, giving Keith a confident grin. He was met back with a ruthless one, and he felt strangely proud.

“Yup. Are you?”

Lance scoffed. “I was born ready, my guy.”

When it came time for Lance to go up, he grabbed Keith by the hand, and tugged him up with him.

“You’re gonna be my good luck charm,” he flirted as Nyma and Rolo walked past them. Keith rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips. He went with Lance, then ushered him forward with a gentle push.

“Show em up.”

Lance responded with a wink, grabbed his ball, and approached the lane.

* * *

Keith watched with amusement as Lance dramatically stretched, and practiced his swinging.

What a dork.

He leaned against the ball return machine, and crossed his arms as Lance did some lunges. Keith snorted, a grin stretching his face.

What a complete and absolute _dork._

Lance finally positioned himself upright, ready to swing. He twisted his torso to the side and back, then snapped forward, his long arm swinging in a fluid motion, completely in sync with the rest of his body.

His ball shot across the lane, and met the pins with a  _SMACK!_

The satisfying noise of all the pins knocking down was drowned out by Lance’s loud “WHOOP!” of triumph. His arms swung up in the air, and he turned to give Keith a bright smile. Keith met his with an astounded one, letting out a laugh as Lance came over, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulders.

“Nicely done,” Keith complemented, and Lance grew brighter, if possible, at the praise.

“Thanks! Now it’s your turn. Make me proud,” Lance spoke, as he placed his hands on Keith’s shoulders, meeting his eyes in a serious fashion. He picked up Keith’s red ball from the machine, and placed it in his hands. “You are the chosen one, young padawan.”

Keith rolled his eyes before walking away from Lance’s ridiculousness.

He should’ve known there was no escape from it.

“Knock em’ dead, babe!” Lance shouted as Keith made it to the lane. He prickled at the pet name, his heart giving one loud THUMP, and he could feel blood rush to his face. He resisted the urge to turn around and chuck his ball at Lance, and took a deep breath, focusing on the pins, and the weight of the bowling ball in his hand. Seeing as Keith was left handed, everything felt just the _slightest_ bit off- the ball, the positioning of the holes in them, the way he had to approach the lane, and even his _shoes_ felt weird.

But he ignored that, swung back, and tossed the ball down the lane.

He watched, eyes wide, as it hit right in the middle of the pins.

Lance shouting in victory was what made Keith realize he’d gotten a strike. He blinked, shocked, and turned just in time to be met with a hug from Lance.

“We’re _so_ gonna win this thing,” he boasted as he led Keith over to their seats. “Make way, everyone! My smoking hot, professional-bowler boyfriend is coming through!”

 _“Lance,”_ Keith admonished.

“Nicely done, you two. But don’t get so smug, yet,” Nyma warned. “We only just started.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lance spoke, sitting Keith down and keeping an arm around his shoulders. He pulled Keith closer to him. “Let’s see you try and top us.”

Nyma’s eyes grew playful, and she took Rolo’s hand, bringing them both up to the lane. “Will do,” she replied. Rolo trailed behind her, a wide smile on his face.

Keith caught Lance watching them before he looked away, and seemed to try and neutralize his expression. But Keith noticed how those blue eyes grew sad, and he frowned. He caught Lance swallowing hard before he withdrew his arm from around Keith.

Keith looked over at Rolo and Nyma, then back to Lance. He fiddled his fingers in his lap for a moment, trying to think of something to say to cheer Lance up.

Damn. He was really bad at this sort of stuff.

He ended up knocking his shoulder against Lance’s. When Lance’s eyes met his own, Keith raised an eyebrow.

“You alright?” he asked.

Lance put on a smile that left Keith feeling wrong. It didn’t reach his eyes. Lance waved a dismissive hand, trying to brush away Keith's worry. “Yeah! I can’t believe you got a strike- especially with that God-awful posture,” he teased.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Guess it all comes down to skill.”

“Seriously, though, you haven’t bowled since you were six?”

“Yup.”

“That’s crazy. Like, I’m no professional, but I do bowl a lot with my family. So, I mean, I have some experience. A little--”

“You were like a graceful swan, Lance.”

Lance laughed, and Keith smiled, reassured by the sound alone. “Shut up. You can’t talk- what was that weird- are you _left handed_ , by the way? Was that why you were all-” and he twisted himself in an awkward position, trying to mimic Keith’s posture at the lane.

“Yeah, I’m left handed. Which doesn’t really make this easy, by the way. So you’re welcome.”

Lance brightened, and he lifted up a hand to give Keith a high-five. He met it, but not without another eye roll. Keith swore Lance was going to get his eyes stuck that way. “Nice!” Lance exclaimed. “You’re showing them up, even with a drawback. We’ve got this thing in the bag.”

“In the end,” Keith spoke in a mock serious tone as Nyma made another strike, “isn’t it all about having fun?”

Lance snorted, and Keith joined him, laughing out loud. When Lance gained control of his giggles, he replied.

“Fuck no.”

* * *

They did win, though. It was actually pretty close- they managed to played two rounds, using up their hour of time at the lane, and Nyma and Rolo were only two points behind. And, though Keith ended up being the one to make a few slip ups (totally due to his left-handedness, and _not_ because Lance had shouted a few embarrassing pet names now and then), Lance was still super enthusiastic throughout the whole game. It left Keith feeling almost a little _giddy,_ and when he finished his last round with a strike, winning the game for them, he was met with Lance running over to him, hugging him, and picking him up, spinning him for a second before he set him down.

Keith gripped onto Lance’s arms as he tried to steady the universe around them, blinking away dizziness and meeting blue eyes.

“We won!” Lance exclaimed, and for a second Keith almost fell for his intimacy- for the show he was putting on. It seemed so genuine, but when Lance twined his fingers with Keith, and turned to give Rolo a shit-eating grin, Keith suddenly remembered why they were there.

“Congratulations,” Nyma spoke, and she actually seemed like she meant it. Her eyes were happy, and she smiled at Rolo as he put his arm around her waist, and tugged her near.

Rolo gave them both a grin, and he looked at Lance when he spoke. “Looks like you two are a pretty good team.”

Lance smiled big in return, and Keith pulled him to their chairs so they could sit down and change back into their shoes. Though Lance followed, his attention was on Rolo.

“You two were great, too! And Nyma, you were just  _awesome."_

“Seems like you and I were evenly matched,” Nyma replied. “We should definitely have another game, soon. Settle the score once and for all.”

“Please, I think you know who the _real_ champion is.”

“Too scared to prove it, then?”

Lance let out a bewildered laugh. “Oh, you’re _so_ on.”

Keith pulled on his boots as Lance chatted with Nyma. When he looked up, he caught Rolo’s eyes. There was something in his gaze- something that seemed to measure Keith, trying to look _into_ him. Naturally, Keith put himself on guard, and looked back at Rolo with a blank stare. They gazed at one another for a few seconds before Rolo smiled, and looked to Lance.

“I never asked- how did you and Keith meet?” he interrupted.

Lance froze in his conversation with Nyma, and glanced at Keith before looking to Rolo.

“Uh, in art class. We’d have study sessions together a bunch,” Lance supplied.

Rolo hummed, and didn’t offer up a response, so Nyma did for him.

“Rolo and I met at the Starbucks where I work. He’d come in, like, every other day just to talk to me. _I_ eventually had to be the one to ask _him_ out.”

Keith looked to Lance, measuring his response. He seemed shocked, and blinked before he put on a smile, and replied.

“Your story is literally a coffee shop romance.” He earned a bright smile from Nyma, and then Rolo spoke.

“What made you two decide to go out?” he asked, and Keith prickled at the tone in Rolo’s voice. He stood up next to Lance and spoke, now, offering Rolo a smile that he hoped would shut him up.

“I’d never been to the art museum downtown. Lance tutors me in our art class, so when he found out I hadn’t been he decided we should go.”

Lance was smiling at Keith, and he took the lead, now.

“We got some food afterwards- sandwiches over at Quiznaks- and then we took a walk through the city.”

Rolo smiled, giving a sound of exclamation.

“What temporary exhibit is up, right now?” he asked. “I’d been meaning to take Nyma, but wanted to make sure it was worth the visit.”

Lance froze. So, after glancing quickly at him, Keith stepped in.

“The Basquiat exhibit. I think it’s still there for a few months, so you’ve got time to go. It’s worth it.”

Lance gave Keith an astounded look before he collected himself. He looked back at Rolo. “It was really cool,” he added.

Something flitted through Rolo’s eyes, and Keith stared him down, daring him to try and test them, again. He didn’t, and Keith could practically feel Lance exhale with relief. Keith nudged him, and spoke.

“We should be getting back, yeah?”

Lance blinked. “Oh, yeah. Uh, let me put on my shoes.”

They all got ready to leave. Keith picked up their jackets, and stood by Lance as he laced his shoes. He stared Rolo down all the while.

When they returned their bowling shoes and walked out the door, Lance was eerily quiet as he walked by Keith. The air was colder when they got outside. Keith tugged his jacket on, and then handed Lance his windbreaker. Lance pulled it on silently, glancing over at Rolo. There was a blank sort of look on Lance’s face, and it made something sink in Keith’s stomach. He wanted to wipe that look away- to comfort Lance, and help him feel better.

But he couldn’t. They weren’t close like that- not really. So he remained silent, and averted his eyes from Lance’s sad ones.

They all gathered by the doors, and stopped to say goodbye.

“This was really fun,” Nyma chirped, “we should go out again, soon.”

Lance smiled, but it wasn’t fully there. “Definitely.”

“Goodnight, guys,” Rolo called out as he lead Nyma to his car.

“See ya,” Lance replied. He stared after them- after  _Rolo._

When they were gone, Keith met Lance’s eyes. “Ready to go?” he asked.

Lance nodded, offering another one of his forced smiles. They walked to Keith’s bike in silence. Keith didn’t know what to say- couldn’t figure out how to cheer Lance up.

“So,” he tried, “you, uh… you choose a Beatles song for me to listen to, yet?”

Lance instantly brightened, his mood changing like the flip of a switch. Keith felt shocked by it, taken aback by the utter unpredictability that was just so _Lance._

“Not yet,” he replied, “but when I do, you’re gonna eat your words.”

Keith smiled. “Looking forward to you being completely wrong.”

When they rode home on Keith’s bike, and Lance’s arms wound themselves tight around him, Keith tried his hardest not to think too much about how it felt a little like he was flying. How Lance, combined with the freedom of speeding down a dimly-lit highway- the wind whipping wildly at their clothes, Lance’s laughter in his ears- brought something within Keith that felt so empty yet _full_ at the same time.

He chalked it down to happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there are any mistakes, let me know, as I edited this while half asleep.  
> Won't promise a new chapter next week, this time. But it shouldn't be as long a wait as this one.  
> Thanks for all the supportive reviews! They're what kept me working at this every day. Much appreciated.
> 
> Rant to me about space gays (AND SEASON TWO???) on my tumblr: spacegaykogane


	4. On Thoughts of Love... and Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews, you guys! I'm so grateful! They're always very appreciated.
> 
> Just wanna address a common worry among you guys: NO, Nyma will not be bad! That kind of writing is two-dimensional, and incredibly lazy. Rolo won't be all bad, either! These characters will be worked on very hard by me, and they will all be well rounded. The focus will be on Keith and Lance, but I won't be tossing aside other characters :)
> 
> Also, seeing a lot of comments about being scared of what's going to happen with the pining and hurt. I promise, I really do love these characters, and I'm not going to do anything terrible to them. They will undergo growth, and it will be difficult. But I'm not gonna hurt them horribly just for reactions. 
> 
> I have a very clear vision of how I'm gonna write this. And I hope you all will stick with me throughout the publication of these chapters :)
> 
> Again, thank you so much! Enjoy.

Keith was having a good dream. It involved flying through the stars, eating some green goo, strange purple aliens, a red sword…

A familiar smile.

This dream, however, was ripped harshly away from him. The cause? A pillow to the face.

And that’s how he found himself awake at eight in the morning on a Sunday, bolt upright in his bed, fairly certain that the _only_ logical reason he'd been woken up at such an ungodly hour was because the world was ending.

However, the universe was not being met with its untimely doom.

Well, it was pretty close.

Pidge sat at the foot of Keith’s bed, the pillow in question in their hands, and a stern look on their face.

Keith didn’t know which he’d rather confront- an apocalypse, or Pidge Holt’s clean five feet of unrelenting wrath.

He passed a hand over his face, blinking away sleep.

“What the _hell_ was that for?” he hissed.

Pidge drew their knees to their chest, and their glare intensified.

“Spill.”

Keith blinked, and gazed back at his roommate in a bewildered manner.

_“Huh?”_

Pidge rolled their eyes. “You and Lance- whatever is going on between you two. Spit it out.”

Whatever sleep Keith got felt nonexistent, now. Weariness filled his bones. He wanted to go back to his dream.

“Couldn’t this have waited until a human hour?”

“No.”

Keith gave an exhausted glare. Of course, the _one_ time Pidge woke up before noon, they had to be angry with him. This was just a cruel and unusual punishment. He sighed. “Honestly, was the pillow really necessary?”

A strong _WHACK_ to the side- and Keith was gonna _tear_ that thing in two. He grabbed it, pulling it away from his friend.

_“Pidge!”_

“You lied to me, dipshit. Friday night, you said you were going to have another study session on Saturday.”

Oh.

Keith sighed, again. “I can’t really explain.”

“Bullshit. You can, you just don’t wanna. And, I mean, I let it slide last night, because I thought you’d tell me when you got back. But you didn’t.”

Pidge watched Keith, and he looked back at them. They looked hurt, and Keith knew they probably really were. But he didn’t offer up a response- what could he even say?

Pidge sighed, now.

“I don’t care if you wanna keep secrets, Keith. But don’t lie to me. We’re friends, and roommates, and that’s just--”

“Shitty. I know. I’m sorry.”

Pidge didn’t look satisfied, arms crossed. Keith stayed silent for a moment. He hesitated.

“Alright. You gotta promise not to laugh.”

* * *

 _“A motorcycle-_ yes, Lance, I got that part,” Hunk spoke wearily, squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush.

Lance poked his head out from behind the shower curtain to meet Hunk’s eyes. He looked shocked, blue eyes wide, and he pushed back wet, soapy hair from his forehead.

“Oh. Did I say that, already?”

Despite his exhaustion, Hunk managed to give his friend a fond smile. “Only a couple dozen times, buddy.”

Lance looked sheepish, and gave Hunk an apologetic glance before ducking back behind the curtain. Hunk brushed his teeth, gazing at his foggy reflection in the mirror. Lance always had the water on so _hot._ The bathroom ended up like a sauna every time.

The water cascading from the showerhead did little to muffle Lance’s enthusiastic voice.

 _Morning people,_ Hunk miserably thought.

“Sorry,” Lance was saying. “It’s just- it was so spontaneous? Like, I didn’t get any warning whatsoever. And I swear I almost peed myself, he’s a crazy driver. Like  _Mad Max_ and _Speed Racer_ combined. It was terrifying. And fun, I guess. It was a fun night.”

Hunk spit into the sink, and ran the faucet.

“You know, from what I’m hearing, it seems like the main source of the fun was Keith,” he observed before rinsing his mouth.

“Well, yeah. He’s actually a really cool dude. I mean, he seems stand-offish at first? But I'm pretty sure it’s all an act... I think. In actuality he’s just, like, a conspiracy theorist lame-o,” Lance laughed for a second. “Also, just… he’s great to hang out with and everything.”

Hunk rolled his eyes at his friend’s obliviousness. Why did it seem like Lance wouldn’t know a good guy if one took him on a romantic motorcycle ride into the sunset?

_Oh, wait._

“Hey, Hunk?”

He grabbed the hand towel, rubbing it over his hands and mouth. “Yeah?”

“I was thinking- for the ‘friend date’ thing with Shay? Maybe we could do roller skating?”

Hunk let out a pleased hum. “That’s a good idea, actually.”

“Cool! I’ll tell Keith in class, tomorrow. Now, all that’s left is for _you_ to--”

“I know, I know. I will.”

Hunk could hear the smile in his best friend’s voice.

“You've got this, man.”

Hunk sighed. “Thanks. Now hurry up in there, I don’t wanna miss the good stuff at the farmer’s market.”

“Yeah, yeah- I’ll only be another minute.”

Hunk knew Lance well enough to understand that meant ten.

* * *

A good thirty minutes later, and Lance was ready to go. He quickly went over to the window in their room, placed his palms flat on the sill, and looked up at the sky.

“It’s gonna rain, soon,” he spoke excitedly.

“Hopefully not before we’re finished shopping,” Hunk lamented, grabbing Lance a coat, and handing it to him. “Come on, let’s go.”

Lance nodded, giving the sky one last look before he grabbed his keys and wallet from his desk and shoved them into his pockets. He looked around for his phone, and picked it up from his messy comforter.

The two left their room, and headed towards the stairwell.

“You’ve still got the shopping list, right?” Hunk asked, propping open the door and letting Lance walk through.

Oh, Old-Chinese smell. Every time. It honestly shouldn’t be possible. Lance really oughta send in a complaint to Residence Life.

“Mhm, it’s on my phone.”

They made their way down the stairs, their footsteps echoing. Then they were suddenly joined by the sound of others.

That’s when a familiar voice reached them.

Hunk froze, and he looked like he was gonna barf as Shay made her way around the corner of the stairs, heading upwards and chatting with her friend. She had on a yellow flowery dress, and her dark, short and thick hair was pinned up. As always, she looked absolutely lovely. Lance glanced at his friend.

Uh oh. Time to take action.

“Shay!” Lance called out, before Hunk could run away and blow his chunks.

And his _chance,_ for that matter.

Shay paused and blinked, her dark eyes going to Lance, then Hunk. She smiled big and sweet, eyes squinting with the action, and her amazingly kind voice met their ears.

“Oh! Lance, Hunk,” she greeted, her smile softening when it met the latter, and Lance turned to give his friend a raised brow and smirk.

Hunk, of course, didn’t pay him any mind. He had his eyes on Shay. Quite glued onto her, in fact. His dark skin grew flushed.

“H-hey, Shay.”

_Aw, buddy, you’re killing me._

Shay kept that sweet smile on her face, though, too enwrapped in her adoration of Hunk to even notice the terrible stutter. A light blush colored her own tan, very-freckled skin.

“Where are you two going?”

When it was evident that Hunk couldn’t form an answer, Lance did for him.

“The farmer’s market over in the city. They've got all these great street vendors. It’s only around once a month, and Hunk gets the best groceries from it.”

Shay smiled warmly at Hunk. Her friend looked just as physically pained as Lance, and they exchanged an empathetic glance with each other.

“How lovely,” Shay complimented.

“Definitely,” Lance continued. He supposed it was up to him to brag about Hunk. He had no problem with it, though- had it down to a fine art, really. “I mean, I just go along for the honey they sell in those straws. But Hunk gets all sorts of things, and makes the _best_ food for, like, _weeks._ Hey- you should cook for Shay. Right, buddy?” Lance spoke to Hunk, now, elbowing him to grab his attention.

If Hunk could kill Lance in that moment, he probably would've. His eyes looked at Lance in bewilderment before turning to look at Shay.

“Uh, yeah. I mean, I could. I-if you'd like that, that is.”

Shay nodded, that smile still on her lips. “I would! That sounds amazing.”

Hunk smiled, and the two stared at each other for a beat. Lance broke the sexual tension.

“Oh hey, Hunk- remember that _thing_ you were gonna tell Shay?”

Hunk looked confused.

Lance had to do everything, didn’t he?

He turned to face Shay, giving her a smile. “Hunk and I were wondering if you wanna go rollerskating with us, and a friend of mine.”

Shay’s eyes lit up like stars, she seemed so over the moon. “Yes! I’d love that. Uhm, when?”

“This Saturday,” Lance informed, taking Hunk’s muscled arm and dragging him away, now. “Six o’clock. Hunk will pick you up from your room. But, hey, he’ll text you the deets, we gotta go! Bye!”

“Oh- okay! Bye, Lance. Bye, Hunk!”

“Bye, Shay,” Hunk called back, looking as though he was still processing everything that had just happened.

When they got outside, Hunk punched Lance in the arm before taking him into a giant hug.

“I don’t know whether to hate you or love you right now, man.”

Lance laughed, patting Hunk on the back. “And that’s our whole friendship in a nutshell.”

* * *

The farmer’s market was pleasantly busy- the air cool and the sky cloudy, bathing everything in a grey light. It was nice, though, and Lance almost felt like he was home shopping with his mom. Street vendors lined the road that had been closed off for the market. There were all sorts of carts and stands- multicolored tarps lined either side of the road for as far as Lance could see. And the air was filled with different scents- kettle corn, spices, meats, roasted vegetables, candies. People of all kind milled about with baskets, totes, and plastic bags all filled to the brim with different foods and trinkets. The buildings that surrounded the street were buzzing with activity, too- there was a coffee shop that was so full, Lance almost missed it had it not been for the scent of freshly ground coffee beans that floated through the open door. Other shops- art galleries, restaurants, clothing stores- were all booming with business. Though the main activity took place on the street, with the vendors.

Craning his neck over the sea of people, Lance tried not to lose sight of Hunk in the crowd. He was lucky his friend was tall (as was Lance), and easy to spot- yellow raincoat standing out perfectly in the mesh of dark blues, purples, and greens of coats that people wore. He glanced over where Hunk was one last time as he allowed himself to wander slightly, looking at the carts and stands near him.

Lance dug his hand into his jacket pocket, the other one holding onto a lavender infused honey straw, squeezing its contents into his mouth.

It left his lips sticky, and he licked them clean.

Lance shifted his arms slightly, trying to get the tote bags that hung by his inner elbows into a more comfortable position. He was always Hunk’s bag-carrier, but he didn’t mind, really. In fact, he volunteered. This was the happiest Lance tended to see Hunk- exploring fruit and vegetable stands, digging his fingers into bags of beans and rice, and gathering tons and tons of spices, pastas, bread, pastes, and jams to add to their long-empty cupboard.

As Hunk looked at fresh-baked pita bread, Lance wandered off to a trinket stand to look at the nicely crafted jewels that sat on display. His eyes landed on a glittering blue lion, and he gazed at it with wide eyes, honey straw sticking out from his mouth- forgotten, now.

“Cool,” he murmured under his breath.

Suddenly, something red met his vision.

“Try this!” Hunk exclaimed, shoving a giant strawberry in Lance’s face. Lance blinked, removed his straw from his mouth, and opened wide, taking a bite from the fruit.

Holy hell, that was good.

“Please tell me you bought, like, eight cartons of those,” Lance spoke with his mouth full, even though he knew Hunk hated when he did that.

His best friend, however, seemed unfazed by it- too excited with his purchases.

“Do you not know who I am, at all?” he asked, feigning hurt. “Almost sixteen years of friendship, Lance. _Sixteen.”_

He proceeded to shove a pile of strawberry cartons in Lance’s tote bags.

“I love you, and let’s get married,” Lance exclaimed, reaching in and grabbing another strawberry. He ate it in one bite, and just barely held back a pleased moan.

“Honestly, buddy, you propose to me every week, but I have yet to see a ring.”

Lance pointed his honey straw at the blue lion gem. “I’ll buy you that.”

Hunk looked at it, unimpressed. “It’d be better if it was yellow.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “That’s what you say about _everything.”_

“Because it’s the truth.”

Smiling, Lance stuck his straw back in his mouth, and put his arms down by his sides, the bags getting incredibly heavy. But he was too excited about all the food they had to worry about his aching arms. “What next?” he asked. They’d been there for a good hour and a half, and Lance looked around, making sure Hunk had hit every stand he’d wanted to.

“Now, my friend, comes the kettle corn that I buy you for carrying the bags.”

Lance wrapped his arms around his friend, who gave a laugh.

 _“Literally-_ marry me.”

* * *

“You sure you don’t want to tag along?” Keith asked, trying not to sound too desperate as he checked his phone. It was six o’clock. He’d have to get to the restaurant in thirty minutes. Maybe that was enough time to force Pidge to join him.

Pidge gave their roommate a knowing look. “I’m good. A couple friends from class and I are going to that science museum right off campus. They’ve just opened their planetarium, and they’re doing the first show tonight. The line is gonna be really long, so we wanna get there ASAP.”

“Nerd,” Keith teased. Pidge scrunched their freckled nose at him.

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t like it, Space Boy. Besides, I know you only want me to come with so you won’t have to be Shiro and Allura’s third wheel. Which, as you very well know, wouldn’t work, anyways, because those two could third wheel an entire continent.”

Keith sighed. “They’re so… _sappy.”_

Pidge shuddered. “May we both never end up like them.”

“Amen.”

Keith picked up his wallet, stuffing it into his back pocket as Pidge grabbed their backpack.

“Don’t worry, though, I’m gonna text you as much as I can to ease up the awkwardness,” Pidge teased.

Keith snorted. “Thanks. You need a ride?”

Pidge waved a dismissive hand. “Nah, we’re carpooling. I’m supposed to be out in the parking lot in five.”

“Alright,” Keith exhaled, checking his phone, again. Maybe Shiro would cancel.

Keith knew he wouldn't. Shiro would get to that restaurant if it cost him his arm. He always jumped at the opportunity to spend time with Keith. It almost made him feel bad for ditching every time Shiro arranged a meet up for them. He'd have to do this- there was no backing out.

Accepting his fate, Keith held open the door for Pidge, and they both walked out.

“Once the weather clears, we should both go to the museum! They have a great observatory,” Pidge spoke, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Keith smiled, rolling his eyes. “We have an observatory on campus,” he reminded them.

“Well, yeah, but theirs is _better.”_

“Alright, yeah. I’ll go with you next time, then.”

Pidge smiled wide. “Good. _Maybe_ you could invite--”

“Keith!” a voice called out.

Keith looked up to see Lance emerging from the stairwell, holding beige tote bags filled with groceries. A boy was by his side- slightly taller and bigger than Lance, muscular, with a face that looked almost too kind. This boy raised an eyebrow at Lance, before looking up and meeting eyes with Keith. Then he looked at Pidge.

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “Hey!”

Pidge smiled brightly. “Hey, Hunk. What’s up?”

Hunk gave Pidge a devious look. “Oh, nothing much. _But_ I did hear from Lance about a very interesting competition that’s been going on right under my nose….”

Pidge gave an exasperated groan, turning to glare at Lance. “Of course you did.”

But Lance wasn’t paying the two any attention, now. He was walking over to Keith, an infectious grin on his face. "Hey," he greeted, and Keith had to force himself to look away from Lance's bright blue eyes.

Keith gave him a careful smile, aware that Pidge was watching. He gestured to the heavy-looking totes Lance was carrying. “You went shopping?”

Lance nodded. “Yeah! The farmer’s market- it’s set up once a month. Hunk and I always go- it’s where we get our groceries. They’ve got the best stuff.”

Keith smiled at Lance’s enthusiasm, and somebody cleared their throat. Lance started, then turned to look back at Hunk, who was standing with a patient smile on his face. Lance grew excited, then, full of energy. He turned back to look at Keith.

“Keith! This is my best-friend-slash-roommate, Hunk.”

Hunk gave Keith a warm smile, and Keith hesitated before returning it.

Lance’s best friend.

Nervousness filled Keith's gut. What did Hunk think of him? Hopefully not that he was using Lance, or anything like that…. Did he know about their arrangement, at all?

“Nice to meet you,” Keith spoke, well aware Lance was watching the exchange.

“Likewise,” Hunk replied. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Lance gave his roommate a look, and Keith’s heart gave an unexpected jump in his chest. “Yeah?”

“Ah,” Lance interrupted, “he knows about… uhm, our…” he looked over at Pidge, unsure.

“Pidge knows, too,” Keith revealed. When Lance looked shocked, he explained, “I told them this morning.”

“Oh! Cool. So we’re all in on what’s going on,” and Lance seemed more relieved with the statement, a carefree look back on his face.

“Yes,” Pidge replied, “and might I say, it’s such a _genius_ idea.”

Keith turned to give Pidge a look, but Lance drank in the false compliment. “Isn’t it?” he agreed before he detected the sarcasm, then gave Pidge a glare. _“Oh-_  oh, okay, I see. You don’t actually mean it. Sarcasm, ha-ha, hilarious.”

“Consider it payback for blabbing to Hunk.”

Lance rolled his eyes, though a smile was on his face. “I already warned you that I’d definitely be telling him.”

Pidge smirked. “Regardless.” They looked at Keith, now. “We do gotta head out, though. So….”

Lance looked over to Keith. “Oh? Where are you going?”

“Pidge is going to the museum. I’m meeting people for dinner.”

Pidge gave him an annoyed look for his vague statement. Lance blinked, looking like he wanted to inquire more about it. But he quickly dropped it.

“Well, hope you guys have fun,” he spoke with a big smile. Hunk walked up to Lance, now.

“Nice meeting you, Keith. And nice officially meeting you, Pidge.”

“See you in class?” Lance asked Keith. He nodded.

“Yeah.”

Then, just as they went their separate ways, a hand grabbed Keith’s arm, pulling him back.

“Wait! I almost forgot,” Lance rushed, totes swinging dangerously from his elbows, the contents close to spilling over. Keith resisted the impulse to take them from him. “What are you doing this Saturday? Around six?”

Keith backtracked. Lance’s hand was still around Keith’s arm, though it held him loosely, now. “Uh… nothing? I don’t think….”

“Do you wanna go rollerskating with Hunk and me? And this girl he has a crush on,” Lance added with a goofy grin, much to the scandal of Hunk, who grew red and sputtered in the background.

Keith blinked, and snuck a glance at Pidge. That was a mistake, as they had a shit-eating grin on their face. He fought back a blush before looking at Lance, then at the floor. He gently pried his arm away.

“Uh… _yeah._ Yeah. Sure.”

Lance smiled wide. “Cool! We’re gonna be leaving at six. So I’ll pick you up from your room?” and before Keith could reply, Lance looked up and at Pidge. “Hey! Pidge, you’re welcomed to join us. You busy, Saturday?”

And before Keith could beg Pidge with his eyes to say yes- before he could insist they’d join, himself, his roommate declined.

“Aw, no. Sorry, Lance. I’m gonna be meeting my brother on Saturday,” they lied, and Keith _knew_ what they were up to. He glared.

“I thought you were meeting Matt on  _Friday,”_ he pointed out.

Pidge shrugged. “Nope. Plans were changed as of… right this second. Officially. Maybe next time, though?”

Lance looked bummed. “Aw, okay. Well, I’ll plan something we can all go to, soon,” he decided, and a smile was back on his face.

“Yeah, definitely,” Pidge agreed. “But Keith and I should really get going, now.”

Lance nodded, and he smiled at them both, then met eyes with Keith. “See you, tomorrow,” he dismissed, then waved goodbye as he walked away. Keith smiled and waved back, and then he was following Pidge out the building.

When it was safe to do so, Pidge spoke.

“What was _that?”_ they exclaimed, a dubious smile on their face.

Keith gave his roommate a confused look. “What was what?”

 _“This,”_ they emphasized, giving Keith a smile and wave, and suddenly he was desperately trying to fight back a blush. “You don’t smile and wave at anybody!”

“That’s not true,” he tried to deny, “I do to you.”

Pidge snorted. “First of all, no you don’t- never in my life have I been on the receiving end of a heartfelt smile from you. Second of all, even if you did, it wouldn’t count because I’m special.”

Keith smirked at that, raising an eyebrow at his friend. “Special?”

“Yup. I’m one of the two people on this entire planet that Keith Kogane has let into his tiny, shriveled little Grinch-heart.”

Keith blinked, stalling in his walk. Then he glared.

“Did you just call me _the Grinch?”_

“Why do you hate Christmas, Keith?” Pidge insisted.

“Okay, I don’t,” Keith began, and Pidge recognized his "but" voice. They released the proper noise of protest, a mix between a groan and a caveman noise. “But if I _did,”_ Keith continued, “I’d have a valid reason--”

“Oh my god.”

 _“Because_ it’s a capitalist holiday centered around consumerism--”

 _“PRESENTS,_ KEITH!”

“It’s a brainwash celebration,” he insisted.

“Who hurt you and made you this way.”

Keith made a thoughtful noise. “Probably my deadbeat parents.”

It was Pidge’s turn to stall, now, and they gazed at Keith with shock.

“Wait, did you just make a _joke?”_

“Move along, Pidge, you’re gonna be late--”

“I’m _so mad_ I didn’t get this monumental moment on video!”

Keith gave his friend a smile. “Guess you’re gonna have to rely on your memory, alone.”

_“Fuck!”_

* * *

The parking lot was completely full when Keith arrived at the restaurant. He circled it only once before he spotted Shiro’s car, parked at just the right angle for Keith to join in the space.

_Thank you, Shiro._

Keith squeezed in, and hopped off his bike, looking up at the dark sky and back at his bike for a quick moment before walking off towards the restaurant.

Shiro, of course, had chosen a nice place. Keith was pretty sure he’d made a reservation for them, too. Frowning, his fingers went to his back pocket to feel his disappointingly thin wallet. He’d probably order the cheapest thing he could find.

His worries, however, seemed to dissipate when he saw Shiro waiting for him. Keith smiled as he saw Allura there, as well- beautiful as always, and giving Keith a bright and excited smile. Shiro also seemed to be in a good mood, so maybe Keith could go through this dinner lecture-free.

He tried to tuck his helmet out of view.

As he approached, however, Shiro saw it anyways, and glanced at it with distaste.

“What do I have to do to convince you to drive a car?” he spoke, in way of greeting.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Give me a couple thousand dollars, and I’ll consider it.”

“Something safe… practical… it wouldn’t cost much,” Shiro went on.

“I haven’t even walked into the restaurant, and you’re already lecturing me.”

“It’s my job. But, really, that bike is so dangerous.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Anything else you wanna get out before we go inside?”

He shouldn’t have asked.

“Have you been eating enough? You look like you’ve lost weight, you’re too skinny. Mom is gonna kill me for not checking in to make sure you’re eating--”

“Shiro--”

“Then she’s gonna kill you, too. After she feeds you, of course.”

Keith turned to give Allura a smile. “How’ve you been?”

Allura came over, linked her arm with Keith’s, and led them inside, leaving Shiro behind.

“Lovely,” she answered. “I heard this place has amazing dessert. We should start with that, then work our way to a decent meal.”

* * *

Shiro _had_ made a reservation, Keith found out. And when he looked at the prices, he nearly lost his appetite. He'd probably order a salad... or half of one. Would they allow that?

Keith dipped his spoon in the lava cake he and Allura were splitting. It was so chocolatey he was absolutely sure he’d spoil his dinner. If he bought one, that was. Shiro had given them a distasteful look when they’d agreed on a dessert and made the order, his nose scrunched up and wrinkled. However, not even seconds later, he was back to gazing at Allura fondly. It seemed he’d let anything slide, with her.

_Lucky._

She was the only one that could ever do that. Shiro was unyielding in his ways, and Keith could never get him to bend on anything. It’s just how he always was- headstrong, determined, and unyielding.

Until he met Allura, that was.

They’d started dating only three months after meeting each other in class on their first day of college. They were both freshmen- Allura majoring in Communications and Art History, while Shiro was in Engineering. They were opposites- alarmingly so- but they meshed together almost too perfectly. And they’ve been together, ever since. Almost nine years, now. They’d be celebrating their anniversary on the twenty-fifth of October. Keith knew, because Shiro always freaked out about giving her the best date, year after year.

Also, because Keith was just a pretty good foster brother.

Allura turned to meet Shiro’s adoring gaze, and she lifted her spoon filled with cake to his mouth.

“Try some?” she asked.

Shiro smiled. “I’m good,” he insisted as he picked up his fork, and worked on his pasta.

Allura responded by eating the spoon of cake, then taking Shiro’s face in one hand and kissing him.

Keith looked away with a dramatic roll of his eyes.

“Good, isn’t it?” he heard her tease.

“I will barf right here and now,” Keith announced.

The two were oblivious, though, gazing lovingly at one another. Keith was fairly sure if he got up and left, they wouldn’t be the wiser.

For a moment, he wondered what it was like. To be so in love, you couldn't see past your sappy adoration for someone.

Looked like torture.

"So, Keith," Allura spoke, sparing him from witnessing any more of their sappiness, "how have your classes been?"

Keith shrugged. "They're good. Easy."

"As usual," Shiro smiled, proud. Keith avoided the look- he didn't want to reveal his tutoring situation. He'd never had a tutor in his entire life, he'd always just been  _good_ at academics. After being valedictorian in high school, he was given countless scholarships and offers. He'd worked really hard to get to this point.

To think that he needed help in  _art class,_ of all things.

Not to mention his way of paying said tutor.

Shiro seemed to know Keith was hiding something- ever observant, he was. Keeping secrets from Shiro was a skill that took years of practice. He stared at Keith for a moment before he spoke.

"You're finishing the last of your core classes this year, right?" he pried.

Keith gave a hum, scooping up some more cake. "Yep."

"How are those going?"

"Fine. Absolutely--"

"How's art? You said you were gonna take that, this semester?" Shiro asked innocently.

Keith blinked, shocked, and looked up to inspect Shiro.

They stared at one another for a moment. 

"It's... fine," he answered slowly.

Shiro shrugged a shoulder. "Just making sure. You always had trouble with that subject."

Still on guard, Keith squinted his eyes. "It's just boring. That's it."

Shiro made a thoughtful noise, and Keith reminded himself to have a firm talk with Pidge later about blabbering everything to Matt. Those two couldn't keep a secret to save their lives- and as Shiro's best friend, Matt would go to him, first.

"You gonna order something?" Shiro asked, handing over a menu.

Keith nodded. "Yep. Salad," he revealed. His brother gave him a look.

"That's not dinner."

"I'm not that hungry. The cake kinda got to me."

Shiro sighed, and Keith tensed at the action.

"Keith. Order something else, too. They've got tons of stuff. I'll cover--"

"I've got it handled," Keith insisted, and he  _hated_ the anger he felt bubbling in his chest. He knew Shiro didn't mean any harm- that it was no big deal if he payed, really. But there was something in him that still protested it- an instinct he couldn't escape from that automatically put up a goddamn barrier in any and every vulnerable situation he found himself in. 

It was always like this, ever since Keith joined Shiro's family. Supporting himself as much as possible was the only way Keith could accept his living situation.

"I know you do, but I invited you out," Shiro calmly insisted, "and I just want to get you a good dinner."

Sensing the potential danger of an argument, Allura chimed in.

"I think I'm going to order the grilled chicken panini," she spoke to herself. Then she looked up at Keith. "I don't know if I can eat the whole thing, though. Would you take half?"

Still boiling with anger, Keith looked at Shiro a moment longer before taking in a breath, and sighing. 

While he and Shiro butted heads a bunch, he could never get mad at Allura.

"Yeah. Sure."

She smiled gently.

"Thank you."

Shiro seemed grateful for Allura's intrusion, but when he looked at Keith, he seemed worried. The evening was slightly tense after that, and Keith hated himself for making it that way. He knew the lecture he'd get, later, and didn't look forward to it. So he decided to avoid it to the best of his ability.

At the end of the evening, he let Shiro pay. It took all he had to do so, and Shiro seemed to appreciate Keith's attempt at a truce. So, rather than lecture him, Shiro nitpicked.

"You need a haircut," he observed. They were waiting by the doors for Allura, who had gone to the restroom. Keith's hand went to his hair, and he pinched a tendril between his fingers, looking at it.

"I think it's fine."

"It's so  _long."_

"Keep nagging. I think you're about to break your record," Keith observed.

Shiro hesitated for a moment. He looked around them, then spoke.

"I want to tell you something."

Keith raised an eyebrow in question. "What?"

Shiro looked more nervous than Keith had ever seen him. He pulled something out of his pocket, and Keith recognized the shape right away.

An engagement ring box. 

Shiro opened it, revealing a beautiful silver ring, with a white opal jewel in the center, surrounded by small diamonds. Keith looked up at Shiro with wide eyes, and was met with a shaky laugh and bright smile.

"You're not..." Keith trailed off.

"I'm going to ask her. On our anniversary."

Keith let out a laugh, and he gave Shiro a hug.

"That's... that's amazing?" he exclaimed when they parted. He looked his foster brother in the eyes. "How are you going to do it?"

Shiro smiled, then, and he buzzed with excitement and bunched up nerves. "That's where I'm going to need your help. And Pidge's. Matt is already on board."

"Anything," Keith insisted, "whatever you need. We've got it."

Allura was approaching, and Shiro hid the box in his coat pocket. "I'll be stopping by soon to update you guys. Is Friday okay?"

Keith nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll let Pidge know."

Shiro's dark eyes were bright with happiness, and he gave Keith a thankful smile. When Allura arrived, she took Shiro's hand.

"What did I miss?" she asked.

"Just talking about how Keith needs a haircut. Can you set him up with your friend?" Shiro asked. Keith gave him a glare, but let it slide, and Allura took to giving Keith the number of her stylist friend, insisting that he meet with her. 

They all walked together to Shiro's car, and when he spotted Keith's bike squeezed in with it, he let out an amused noise.

"You noticed?" he asked.

Keith smiled. "Yeah. Thanks for that."

"No problem. I didn't think it'd be so busy."

"Well, next time let's just go to the dining hall. I've got swipes I don't know what to do with."

"Eat more, maybe," Shiro suggested.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Keith dismissed, and he gave Allura a hug when she reached in for one. Then he hugged Shiro.

"I need to see more of you, okay?" Shiro demanded. "How is it that I work on your campus, but only ever see you twice a month? And _that's_ if I'm lucky."

Keith blushed, not meeting his foster brother's eyes. "It's a big campus."

"Keith...."

He looked up, now. "I'll reply more. I promise."

Shiro smiled. "Good."

"Feel free to visit our place, too," Allura added. "It's not far, you know. I'm going to let you know our schedules, so you have no excuse not to visit!"

Keith gave her a smile. "Will do."

After saying their goodbyes, Shiro and Allura climbed into their car as Keith got on his bike, and put on his helmet. He started his engine, and gave Shiro a playful rev when he noticed him watching with a frown from behind the driver window.

Then Keith sped off, going faster than necessary just to irk Shiro further.

He laughed as he felt his phone buzz with dozens of angry messages.


	5. On Rain and Rollerskates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dicks out for Mo, because this entire chapter, in its 20k grandiose, was deleted a couple weeks back. But you guys are so motivational to me, that I rewrote the entire thing. Every. Last. Bit. You might get some residue anxiety on you. My bad. 
> 
> THIS CHAPTER HAS ART!!! Done by the lovely Karovie!!!  
> Link to her tumblr and AO3 will be in the end notes :~)  
> Enjoy

It was a Tuesday, September thirteenth, at 7:53 in the afternoon when Keith decided Lance McClain was an absolute madman.

The week had barely begun, yet it managed to draw out the last of Keith's patience. There was the tension of dealing with Rolo, which brought upon the responsibility of keeping up an act he wasn't so sure he was prepared for, anymore. Not to mention he was also getting into the bulk of the semester, which seemed to be working to slowly and effectively drown him. His workload had increased, he had his first test in art next Monday, and all his professors suddenly seemed to agree that now was the most appropriate time to have all tests, quizzes, essays, and small projects due within the coming two weeks. Keith's classes that Tuesday had been an absolute drag, and though he was so _incredibly_ tired, stretched out so thin he thought he might snap, he decided to work out his frustrations at the campus gym.

The moment he got to his dorm room he changed into gym shorts, a t-shirt he didn’t particularly care for, and grabbed a hoodie from his chair. As he was about to walk out the door, Pidge tossed him their umbrella.

“It’s gonna rain any second,” they’d warned. “And the gym is a good fifteen minute walk.”

He smiled gratefully. “Thanks,” he replied, and he lifted the umbrella up in a quick dismissal before he headed out.

The walk to the gym was nice- the air was cool, the temperature having recently dropped to appropriate Autumn weather. Students walked around campus, classes mostly over for the day. Cars drove home, people left the dining hall with food they smuggled out, and music was pulsing weakly at the Campus Green- a field where events were normally hosted, but currently just had a few people lounging about. If they knew what was good for them, they'd pack up their things and find shelter. Keith looked up at the sky, eyes outlining the heavy clouds. They looked like they were ready to drop in their entirety, and join civilization on the ground. Keith took a deep breath of the wet air, and tried to enjoy his walk as he let his thoughts overtake him.

Yesterday started out the week so well. Lance had stopped by Keith’s room (uninvited, he might add) so they could walk to art class together. It was actually a really sweet gesture, and Keith tried to focus on that rather than the shit-eating grin that Pidge had given him when Lance had shown up at their door.

Then they chatted the whole walk to class. Well, Lance did. He’d apparently been on the phone with his sister, Sophia, all Sunday night. They FaceTimed for hours, then switched to a call when it grew late, talking for another hour until Lance went to bed. The way he talked about Sophia to Keith made it obvious she was his favorite sibling. He wondered what she looked like- if she had Lance's dark brown hair, and soft tan skin. Were her eyes as blue as his?

Keith vividly remembered the look in those eyes when Lance had rambled on about his family- how excited his voice had gotten, the way he gestured his arms animatedly, and his _laugh._ Then, when they got to art, sat down, and started class, he continued to try and catch Keith’s attention throughout the lecture. He whispered to him like they were in a high school classroom, reaching over to poke him, or trying to inconspicuously toss notes.

Keith smiled at the memory before catching himself, and stifling it.

Ugh. God.

Lance liked Rolo, and Keith shouldn’t let himself indulge in their relationship- their _fake_ relationship. He _always_ did this. Every person he's ever been involved with, he’d only wanted to be with because they were out of his reach. Keith liked a challenge, that much was obvious, but he also always wanted things he couldn’t have. That compulsion found its way into his romantic life and, ultimately, his friendship with Lance.

It worked out for the better- going for people compulsively. The only thing that drove Keith to date was the spiteful thrill of it all- almost like he had something to prove. It was as if he wanted to show the universe he was capable of getting what seemed out of his reach. There was an utter lack of any real emotion, and instead an influx of competitiveness fueling him for the short period of time he found himself involved with someone. The absence of messy needs and emotions made it that much easier to end things whenever Keith wanted to.

He wouldn’t let himself feel that way about Lance, though. Because he just _knew_ that if they somehow ended up together, he’d probably drop him after a week. And he didn’t want to do that- Lance was so _nice,_ Keith wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he’d hurt him.

Besides, it would never happen. _Lance liked Rolo._ Was probably in love with him, even, if this crazy plan he created was any indication. Keith couldn’t help but think, however, that Rolo definitely wasn’t worth Lance’s attention.

Not like Keith was either, for that matter.

Shaking the thought from his head, he forced himself to stop thinking about Lance as he walked to the gym.

When he got there, he tied up his hair and stretched for a few minutes. The gym was mostly empty- only a handful of people were there, and they were leaving. The rainy weather tended to have this effect- people became sleepy, lazy, and didn't bother going to do their workouts. This was Keith's favorite time to go, because he had the equipment and space all to himself.

He started on the treadmill, and decided to pace a long eight mile run with some sprints as his workout for the day.

While he worked on his run, he put his earbuds in and listened to a playlist- one filled with rock music he used to listen to in high school before soccer or karate lessons. It was pretty much his "pumped up" playlist. Once heavy bass and guitar rifts filled his ears, he reluctantly went to his texts where an accumulated pile of unanswered messages laid in wait for him.

He replied to Shiro, first. There were messages from the start of the semester wishing him good luck, giving him the new room numbers for his classes, and the times he’d be there. He also texted his office number and the building it was at on campus, as if Keith hadn’t already memorized it in the three years Shiro had been working at this university (he had started his first year of the job the moment Keith started his first year of college).

His more recent texts, however, Keith definitely needed to respond to. They were from last night, so Keith wasn’t _too_ late in replying.

**7:30 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**So I’m thinking brunch at that cafe that I showed you and Pidge your first year? Probably around noon.**

**7:32 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**Do you two still go there?? Or was that a one time thing?**

**7:32 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**Allura and I used to go there, back when we were freshmen.**

**7:34 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**She told me to tell you she says hi.**

**9:13 P.M, Takashi Shirogane:**

**I’m giving you approximately twenty-four hours from the time I sent the first message to reply, by the way. Otherwise I’m unleashing Matt, and ultimately Pidge.**

Keith checked the clock on his phone. Six thirty. He’d dodged a bullet. He typed out his reply:

**6:33 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**yeah, I know the cafe. Pidge & I still go there, sometimes. brunch sounds good**

**6:34 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**also, stop talking about the past like ur eighty. ur 27.**

He only had to wait five minutes for a reply, and felt slightly guilty about Shiro’s quick responses, and Keith’s complete lack of them.

**6:39 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**Okay, so I’ll meet you guys there Friday at noon? I’ll let you know all the details of what I’m planning, then.**

**6:39 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**Also, you should let me reminisce about my youth. You could learn something.**

Keith smiled, chuckling under his breath. He cranked down the speed on the treadmill for a moment while he replied.

**6:42 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**learn something from the guy who thought that if u died in video games, u died in real life? sounds fake, but ok.**

**6:42 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**First of all, I was six.**

**6:43 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**Second of all, Allura read that and won’t leave me alone about it, now. So expect payback, soon.**

**6:43 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**Also, is that a yes to noon?**

**6:44 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**yep. see u tomorrow, old man**

Keith looked through his other messages, but didn’t reply to them: texts from some classmates that had somehow gotten his number, some from Pidge that they’d sent when they were in the same room, and then some from his mom.

 _Shiro’s mom._ Shiro’s mom.

He frowned at his phone, stomach tightening in knots. He only managed to read three of her messages before he grew sick, pocketed his phone, and cranked the treadmill up to a sprint.

Of course, Keith realized there was an irony in how fast he was running, and how he was still fixed in the exact same place, unable to physically escape. He decided not to dwell on the symbolism of it all- he was a chemistry major, not English.

A good hour passed before Keith reached his eight-mile goal, and he was exhausted when he finished, but he also decided to squeeze in some upper body workouts to efficiently wear himself out. He ended with more stretches. Once the adrenaline of his workout started to trickle away, it was with an exhausted body and weary mind that Keith decided to head back to his dorm and get some sleep.

It was pouring outside and he pulled on his hoodie, then opened up Pidge's umbrella, starting his walk back to his dorm.

Why it had to be so far from the gym, he had no idea.

The rain, though inconvenient, was ultimately soothing. Keith let the sound of it crashing onto nylon fill his tired mind.

He’d have to get some studying done before he slept… he was supposed to have a quiz in history, tomorrow.

Keith groaned with exhaustion, wishing he could just lie down and sleep.

The campus was mostly abandoned- only a few students were outside, and they were rushing through the rain to their cars, or dorms. Keith was mostly alone, and when he got to his dorm complex, it was completely abandoned.

That’s why he was absolutely thrown to see a figure outside, standing eerily still in the downpour, face upturned to greet it like an old friend.

When he got closer, a nearby street lamp shone on the lunatic, and Keith’s breath caught in his throat.

Lance.

He was standing loosely in the rain, face tilted upwards, chin sharp and pointed high, arms lax by his side, palms open. The yellow light of the streetlamp caught on him, and the dark hues of his clothes drank it in, glowing warmly like molten lava drowned in a dark ocean. The light that bathed his face made him look luminescent. He was ethereal. Calm. Peaceful.

A giant grin was on his face, his eyes gently closed. He seemed… reassured. Deep in thought.

Keith found himself calling out before he could even register it.

“Lance!” he shouted, running over.

Lance looked startled, and he was instantly drawn out of his trance, body jolting and eyes opening wide as he looked around him for the source of the shout. Keith had half the mind to feel guilty for interrupting something so encapsulating. The feeling quickly left, however, when Lance's gaze fell upon Keith, and that familiar smile graced his face. He seemed to light up, once again- shining like the sun.

“Hey!” he replied as Keith reached him.

He didn’t reply, and was busy taking off his jacket one-handed, holding his umbrella in the other. Lance looked taken aback as Keith put his umbrella over the both of them, handing Lance his jacket.

“Are you insane?” he reprimanded, face stern though he could feel his eyebrows knit together, likely revealing his worry. “This rain is freezing, you’re going to catch a cold!”

Lance blinked before taking the jacket in his hand. He looked from it, up into Keith’s eyes, and offered a small smile.

“I’m just going to get this soaked.”

Keith frowned.

“Put it on.”

Lance did as he was told, putting on the jacket over his tank top. He murmured a thanks, looking back out into the rain from beneath the umbrella, a different smile on his face, now… similar to the one he’d had before Keith interrupted him. There was a glimpse of the emotion Lance had on his face earlier, and Keith found himself drawn in.

He watched Lance for a moment, transfixed by his open yet mysterious expression- by every little bit of his bizarre nature. Suddenly, Lance turned to look at him, his eyes soft and lips still quirked.

“Let’s go inside,” he spoke, and he sounded resolute- as if he had gotten what he’d come outside for.

Keith nodded, eyes searching Lance’s face for a moment before he looked away, and led them inside under his umbrella.

The dorm building was chilly, and Keith noticed Lance shiver slightly the moment they stepped in. He frowned, watching Lance carefully, and he found himself just _waiting_ for a sneeze or cough. Luckily for Lance, it didn't come.

They walked up the stairs in silence. Their shoes squeaked against the floors, filling the quiet until they left the stairwell and tracked water onto the carpeted hallway to their rooms.

Keith spoke once they reached Lance’s door.

“Why were you outside?” he asked.

At the question, Lance smiled brightly. His eyes twinkled like stars.

“I love rain,” he answered simply.

Keith blinked, but before he could even think of a response, Lance started to shrug off Keith’s jacket.

“Keep it on,” he insisted, catching Lance by surprise. He felt his face warm up, and looked away. “Just until you grab a hot shower.”

Lance stalled, then smiled. “Thanks,” he replied, pulling it back on. Keith waved a hand in dismissal.

“No problem. See you tomorrow,” he spoke, and began to walk off.

“Wait!” Lance suddenly called. Keith stopped in his tracks, turning to look at him.

When he didn't continue, Keith raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

Lance shuffled in his spot. He looked ridiculous- hair wet and plastered to his forehead, clothes soaked.

“Hunk and I were gonna make dinner in the kitchen. Do you and Pidge wanna join?” he asked.

Keith blinked, caught off guard. It was eight o’clock- wasn’t it a bit late for dinner? Still, he didn’t want to refuse and risk seeming rude…. “Uh… yeah. Sure.”

Lance smiled. “Awesome. Meet up in an hour?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

Lance’s eyes squinted happily before he ducked his head down, and pressed in the key code to his door, opening it and walking in.

Keith tried to hold back a smile from making its way onto his own face, and desperately pushed down the warmth bubbling up his chest.

* * *

 

When Lance walked into his room, he was greeted by Hunk.

“Hey, buddy. Have fun playing in the rain?”

Lance smiled wide at his roommate, who was currently sprawled out on one of their beanbag chairs, doing some homework.

“Yup!”

Hunk looked up, took in Lance’s appearance, then laughed, shaking his head before returning his gaze to his work. “Honestly, man, one day this tradition of yours is gonna turn around and bite you in the ass.”

“I’d like to see it try,” Lance challenged.

“I don’t think you do. Pneumonia is not fun.”

Lance winced sympathetically, remembering when Hunk was sick with it for three months last year. It had not been pretty. “Yeah, well, you know I never get sick. I grew up with a bunch of people, my immune system’s been exposed to every illness possible,” he dismissed. Hunk looked back at Lance, unimpressed. He was about to retort when he paused, eyes narrowing on Lance’s torso.

“Whose jacket is that?” he asked.

Lance looked down at the slightly damp maroon hoodie, pinching the end of the fabric and observing it for a moment. He met his roommate’s gaze, and shrugged. “Keith’s.”

Hunk’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you wearing Keith’s jacket?”

At that, Lance laughed. “Because he was outside and freaked out when he saw me in the rain.”

Hunk sighed. “At least I’m not the only one who finds you completely bananas.”

“I resent that!” Lance replied, and Hunk murmured something along the lines of “Alright, buddy”. Scowling, Lance trudged towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna take a shower,” he announced.

Then he remembered dinner.

“Oh! Hunk! We’re still cooking tonight, right?” he asked.

Hunk noticed the tone in Lance’s voice, and he warily answered his friend. “Yeah? Why…?”

Lance smiled sheepishly. “I may or may not have invited Keith and Pidge to join us.”

Hunk blinked, and he looked pleasantly surprised. “Oh. That’s alright, they can join. There’ll be plenty of food.”

Lance smiled brightly, then ran over to his roommate, jumping onto him and giving him a big hug, wrapping his arms around Hunk's neck and making sure his wet hair pressed against his cheek. Hunk recoiled at the assault, and tried to push his rained-on friend away.

“You’re the best!” Lance cooed.

“Agh, _Lance!_ You’re soaked, get off!”

* * *

 

“You should wear that one blue sweater you have,” Pidge observed from their bed, leaning back on their hands and watching as Keith got ready.

He frowned, looking down at the black long sleeve he was wearing. He paired it with grey sweatpants, and some navy wool socks. It’s not like he needed to dress nice- even socks were optional, really. They were just going to the kitchen right down the hall. “What’s wrong with this?”

Pidge shrugged, and pushed their glasses up their nose. They were dressed in a green pullover, and sweatpants of their own. Honestly, they couldn’t judge him. “You look better in blue. And that shirt has a hole in the armpit.”

Keith glared. “It’s not like I’m gonna be raising my hand,” he mumbled before turning around, and looking through his dresser, grabbing the blue sweater, instead. He changed into it, then turned to meet Pidge’s eyes. They looked satisfied.

“Much better,” they complemented, and Keith suddenly understood their ulterior motive. He crossed his arms, squinting at his roommate.

“What are you doing?” he deadpanned.

Pidge tried to look innocent. It didn’t work- Keith knew they were conniving and wicked.

“Me? Doing something? I’m hurt, Keith, truly,” Pidge admonished, hand over their heart. Then they grinned sweetly. “I’m just making sure you look good in front of your crush.”

“Pidge….”

“Oh, sorry, we haven’t had the talk, have we? Keith, when a boy likes another boy--”

“Ugh, _stop,”_ Keith spoke, “I don’t like him like that.”

“Of course not,” Pidge agreed.

Keith held their stare. “I don’t.”

“I know that!” Pidge exclaimed, and when Keith turned around to look for his hair tie, they spoke again. “Where did your jacket go, by the way?”

He froze, turning to meet his roommate’s innocent gaze. They stared at each other for a moment, and Pidge’s grin grew wider and more diabolical, eyes cockily squinting behind their glasses. Keith glowered. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t _say_ anything!” Pidge defended. Keith held their gaze. “Just wondering where it could have gone--”

“Pidge--”

“It’s such a nice jacket…”

“Stop--”

“So warm… soft, too. Whoever’s wearing it must be really comfortable.”

“This friendship is over.”

“Isn’t it your favorite hoodie? The one Shiro gave you?”

Keith felt his cheeks warm, and he turned away, grabbing his hair tie. “He was soaked, Pidge,” he explained as he pulled his hair back into a ponytail. The shorter strands came loose and dropped heavily around his face, wet from his shower.

“And you let him wear it, anyways…”

Keith groaned.

“I never knew how caring you could be, Keith. It’s endearing.”

“Keep talking. The more you say, the more I’m considering dropping out of college and leaving you roommate-less.”

Pidge laughed loudly, eyes wide with shock. _“What?_ Over a crush? Geez, is it that bad?”

“I _don’t_ have a crush,” Keith seethed. “What is this, high school?”

“From the way you act around him, I’d say middle school.”

Keith glared. In response, Pidge gave him a bright smile and a wave, mimicking his interaction with Lance the other day. Keith glared harder, though he felt like his face was on fire, now. He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“I’m cancelling. Say goodbye to dinner.”

“Keith! No!” Pidge protested, pouncing over to try and grab his phone. He put it out of their reach, lifting his arm straight up and watching in amusement as Pidge jumped once for it. “That’s so rude! And I’m hungry!”

He gave them a flat look. “Then drop all Lance talk.”

They crossed their arms, pouting. “Fine.”

“Show me your fingers.”

Pidge rolled their eyes, unfolding their arms and holding their hands up in the air. Their fingers had been crossed, and they undid it. “Remind me to stop letting you hang out with Matt.”

Keith smiled in triumph, and put his phone away. Pidge gave him a serious look, then.

“Really, though, you don’t want to talk about it?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

Pidge looked disappointed, their eyes sad. “Honestly? Nothing _at all?”_

Keith crossed his arms. “Nothing at all.”

It was silent. “Are you _sure?”_

“For god’s sake, _yes._ I’m sure.”

They frowned. “Fine. I’ll drop it completely.”

 _“Thank_ you--”

“Once you prove it.”

Keith blinked, mouth gaping for a moment. _“What?”_

Pidge smiled slyly. “Prove it. That you don’t like Lance.”

Keith sputtered incredulously. “How do I even go about _doing that?”_

“Just be yourself. Let me observe. I’ll know.”

Keith frowned. “I don’t--”

 _“And,_ if you finally get over your emotional constipation--”

Keith glared, opening his mouth to defend himself, but Pidge held up a finger, and continued.

“Then I’m here when you wanna talk.”

Keith took a deep breath, and exhaled. Pidge was relentless. He knew that. There was no point in even trying to carry on this conversation.

“Fine. Whatever,” he snapped. His phone buzzed, and he checked it to find a message from Lance.

**8:17 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**abt to finish dinner, babe ;***

Keith rolled his eyes, and typed out his reply.

**8:17 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**stop calling me that**

**8:17 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**we’re coming**

“They’re waiting for us,” Keith announced, pocketing his phone. “Let’s go.”

 _“Ooooo,_ eager, are we?” Pidge teased.

Keith gave them a look. “It’s not too late for me to cancel.”

“It totally is,” Pidge retorted. Keith didn’t reply, letting out an exasperated sigh instead. As they walked out the door Pidge spoke up, again. “How much do you wanna bet he isn’t gonna give back the jacket when we get to the kitchen?”

Keith glared. Competitiveness burned in his gut, and he immensely wanted to stick it to Pidge. Lance had no reason to keep the jacket, and Keith would prove it. “Coffee tomorrow morning says he will.”

“Deal.”

* * *

 

Lance bounced impatiently on his feet as he waited for the rice to cook. He ran his fingers through his shower-damp hair, playing with it unconsciously, and tapped the fingers of his free hand against the countertop.

“Stop touching your hair,” Hunk spoke from the pot of curry he was adding minced garlic to, “you look fine.”

Lance jumped, shocked, and pulled his hand away from his head. “Sorry. Didn’t even realize I was doing it.”

Hunk smiled softly before continuing to stir. “Can you chop the tomatoes?”

“Sure!” Lance exclaimed, walking over to the cutting board next to Hunk. “How much?”

“A small handful.”

“Roger that,” Lance replied, rinsing his hands and the tomato Hunk had out before setting about chopping it. “So,” he spoke as he worked, “what are you gonna make when you cook dinner for Shay?” he teased, smiling slyly.

Hunk blushed noticeably. He waited a moment before he replied. “No talking. You’re holding a big knife. Focus.”

Lance laughed lightheartedly. “C’mon, you know I could do this with my eyes closed. I learned from the best.”

“Your mom?”

“Well. Yeah. And a little from you.”

Hunk smiled, and the tension seemed to leave his broad shoulders. He seemed more open, now. “I don’t know, Lance, okay?” he sighed, referring to the previous conversation. “How about I focus on getting through Saturday, then I can work my way up to that dinner. Just take it one at a time.”

Lance let out a childish whining noise before he relented, and backed down. _“Fine._ But when you two finally get together, which you will, it’s gonna be the best and cutest thing ever, and you gotta tell me all the details so I can live vicariously through you guys.”

Hunk chuckled at that, adding the tomatoes to the pot when Lance handed them to him. “Something tells me you won’t need to, buddy.”

Lance didn’t know exactly what Hunk meant by that. He didn’t like Rolo, and probably wouldn’t be happy if Lance’s plan worked out. So… the only thing he could be referring to was….

He decided he didn’t really wanna know, and kept quiet.

“Hey, Lance!” a voice called out, and Lance turned to see Pidge walking towards him, a wide smile on their face, Keith trailing close behind with a look Lance couldn’t quite decipher.

Lance smiled brightly, waving at the two of them. “Hey, guys!” Pidge looked Lance up and down, glanced around the kitchen, then looked back at Keith, a playful smile slowly lifting the corner of their lips. Their look was absolutely diabolical, and Keith responded by looking around and then at Lance, too, and he let out an audible groan as he seemed to understand what his roommate’s face was about. Keith seemed disgruntled, and Pidge said something about a caramel frappuccino with extra whipped cream.

Lance gave them a confused look, but decided not to question them. Instead, he offered up a small smile. He suddenly felt nervous, and didn’t know why. So his voice came out smaller than he meant it to. “Dinner will be ready in a few.”

At Lance’s tone, Keith looked up, and met his eyes before shying away and glancing over at Hunk.

“You guys need any help?” he asked.

“We’re good,” Hunk replied, handing Lance a bell pepper to chop. Lance went to work hollowing it, and Hunk continued, “It’s pretty much just adding broth and coconut milk to the pot, at this point. Are you guys allergic to anything?”

“Nope,” they both replied.

“Keith is lactose intolerant,” Lance noted absentmindedly under his breath, and when it grew silent he looked up from chopping to find Hunk raising an eyebrow at him. Lance blinked, realizing he’d spoken out loud. “Oh. Uh, not important for this meal, because it’s vegan, but Keith is lactose intolerant.”

He looked over at Keith, who looked surprised before he glanced at Pidge, who was smiling, then shyly away. Hunk, bless his soul, broke the strangely awkward silence.

“Good to know,” he spoke, and turned to give Keith a reassuring smile. “I’ll keep in mind not to make anything with dairy for you.”

Keith gave him a weak smile back. “Thanks.”

Lance finished chopping the last of the vegetables. Then when Hunk dismissed him, he went to join Pidge and Keith on one of the couches in the kitchen. Keith was on one corner of the sofa, Pidge in the middle, and Lance on the other corner. He turned so that he was facing them, his right side resting into the back cushion of the couch. He could see through the window in the kitchen- portions of the heavy rain outside was illuminated only by street lamps. The rest was bathed in darkness.

“So, how’ve you guys been?” Lance asked.

“Since I last saw you on Sunday, and since Keith saw you an hour ago?” Pidge asked teasingly.

Lance gave them a gentle push on the shoulder. “Rude! Coming at my life for trying to start casual conversation. I don’t deserve this.”

Lance witnessed Keith giving the barest hint of a smile, and he felt his chest swell with pride, as it did every time he managed to crack one of Keith’s smiles or laughs.

Pidge rolled their eyes, though a smile was on their face. “Well, I’ve been fine. Just drowning in homework now that the semester’s really started.”

Lance groaned, remembering the homework he had abandoned to go run out into the rain. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I feel like, starting Monday, life suddenly got a thousand percent harder.”

“Just wait until we’re seniors,” Pidge told him, and Lance shuddered. “I don’t know if I’m ready to finish school and go out into the real world.”

At that, though, Lance scoffed and waved a dismissive hand. “Please- this is the hardest life will be. The real world will be a piece of cake... child’s play- our oyster, if you will.”

Pidge laughed, and so did Keith. “You might have your hopes too high,” Keith spoke up.

“But we admire the confidence,” Pidge added.

Lance grinned, but before he could reply, Hunk spoke.

“You might admire it, but it’s that exact confidence that gets him into the worst situations,” he teased, giving Lance a knowing smirk from the stove.

“Hey! Don’t act like I don’t keep you entertained with those situations.”

Hunk smiled. “It is amusing, I’ll give you that.”

Lance clenched his fist, letting out a low _“Yes,”_ then he grinned, and Pidge snorted. “I’ll take it.”

They started dinner, then. Lance got up to help Hunk put the food into bowls and hand it out. It was a recipe for coconut curry over rice that Hunk had recently come up with, and it was _perfect_ for rainy days, in Lance’s opinion. Based on Keith and Pidge’s reactions when they ate the warm, filling food, Lance figured they thought so, too.

Pidge practically moaned with approval, eyes closed in bliss, and opened their eyes to look at Hunk. “Why are you a biochem major? Go open a restaurant.”

Hunk laughed, sifting his spoon through his food. “That’s the plan, one day. But, well… _further_ into the future. A lot further.”

“I’m gonna be his business partner,” Lance added with a wink, turning over to grin at Hunk, who was sat in an armchair by the couch.

Hunk laughed. “Of course. And my sous-chef.”

“Awww, _buddy_ ,” Lance gushed, hand over his heart. He reached out to his friend, fingers extended, and Hunk (not without a playful roll of his eyes) took his hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

“Well, the moment you open a restaurant, Keith and I will be first in line, and we’re gonna eat everything you have,” Pidge warned.

Keith spoke, then, giving Hunk a smile.

“It really is great, Hunk.”

Hunk beamed with all the praise, and Lance smiled, glowing with pride. He had the coolest best friend, ever.

They continued to eat, talking about classes, mostly.

Lance couldn't help but notice that Keith remained fairly quiet throughout the night. Whenever Lance tried to talk to him, he’d answer with short (but not unkind) replies, and give a sideways glance at Pidge. It seemed, at times, he was more open in conversations with Hunk than with Lance.

Lance tried not to be too hurt by that. There was probably a good explanation. So, when the night was drawing to a close, and Pidge had gotten up to watch a video on Hunk’s phone, perched onto the armrest of his chair like an owl with their excitedly wide, glasses-clad eyes, Lance decided to get up, and sit closer to Keith.

“Hey,” he greeted.

Keith’s eyes met Lance’s, careful and measured, and there was a look on his face Lance couldn’t read. He wondered why he could never pin this boy down- why he couldn’t ever tell what he was thinking. Lance was always great at reading people- he prided himself in it. His empathetic nature made him inherently good at deciphering the emotions of people he spoke with. But when it came to Keith, he was stubborn and closed off, and nearly impossible to figure out.

“Hi?” Keith replied, and his eyes flickered to Pidge before he seemed to visibly relax, tense shoulders sagging in what looked like relief. Lance glanced back to find Pidge’s attention still fixed on Hunk’s phone, and he frowned when he looked back at Keith.

“Sorry if this question is selfish-sounding, or whatever, but did I do something to piss you off?” he asked, and he spoke low enough for only Keith to hear, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice- to sound neutral.

Keith looked completely taken aback, then guilty. Lance tried to read beyond that, but found himself lost- blocked off by Keith's permanent wall. “No. No, you didn’t.”

Lance smiled carefully, eyebrows unconsciously knit with worry. “So are you alright, then?”

Keith smiled back, and it was stiff. “Yeah. Just been a… weird day?”

Lance laughed at that. “Dude, this whole week has been off. But, hey, I’m sure it’ll pass. It’s just that period before the middle of the semester where nobody really knows what they’re doing with themselves. In school, and otherwise. I’m pretty sure I was about to go to my advisor and change both of my majors, then proceed to drop out.”

Keith laughed at that, and it was genuine, his shoulders shaking with it before it was cut short too soon. Still smiling, he said, “Yeah, I get that.”

Lance beamed, then nudged Keith’s bicep with his hand. “So we’re good?”

“Yeah. We’re good.”

“Cool,” Lance replied. Then he remembered something, and leaned forward on the couch. Keith instinctively leaned back a fraction before stilling. “Oh, hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you about something.”

When Keith gave him an attentive look, Lance continued.

“Back in the bowling alley. You told Rolo about that Basquiat exhibit....”

Keith seemed to shrink back, but Lance continued.

“I looked it up once I got back, and that’s actually the current temporary exhibit at the museum. How did you know that?”

Keith averted his eyes. He licked his lips before he spoke.

“I’ve just… been meaning to go. I mean, I don’t know much about art, but I like Basquiat, from what I do know about him. I guess I just haven’t really had an excuse to go see it, yet.”

Lance blinked, shocked with the answer. “Oh.”

It was silent. Keith didn’t offer up any further explanation. So Lance continued, his tone hesitant.

“I could take you?” and he didn’t mean for it to come out as a question, his heart instantly skipping a beat at the tone in his voice. He noticed Keith recoil- it was the barest of movements, but he caught it.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll probably go with Pidge,” he supplied. Lance frowned.

“But--”

“Lance! Do you still have the video of us racing in a cart? Down Death-Hill, by the Target?” Hunk called out, and his eyes were filled with determination, while Pidge’s looked doubtful.

Lance looked back to Keith, but he was avoiding Lance’s gaze, now, focused on Pidge. Lance pushed back his frown, and turned to give Hunk a smile.

“Duh. Why, does Pidge not believe we did it?”

“Less of ‘not believe’,” Pidge supplied, pushing their glasses up their nose, “and more of, ‘I know you didn’t, because it’s impossible for you to still have all your limbs attached, if you’d actually attempted it’.”

Lance didn’t really want to, but he got up and pulled out his phone, then went over to Hunk and Pidge- not before giving Keith one last look. He didn't make an effort to get up and follow Lance to watch the video. He just stayed in his seat, and eventually (once Lance had dug up the video) Pidge was the one to make the move, grabbing Lance's phone and going over to show it to Keith. He'd laughed with Pidge, and they so easily brought that smile to his face- it took almost nothing for them to make him laugh _._ Lance felt something akin to jealousy, then hurt.

Despite Keith’s reassurances, Lance couldn’t help but feel like something was wrong, and that he was to blame.

* * *

 

“Do you think Keith was acting weird last night?” Lance asked, sprawled out on his back on Hunk’s bed. He had two hours before his Wednesday classes started, and he felt both impatient to talk to Keith, and absolutely nervous to see him, at all.

“You said he was kind of closed off, right?” Hunk replied, putting his textbook down to glance at Lance. He almost felt bad for interrupting Hunk’s cram session, but his friend had no annoyance in his eyes. Just pure concern. “I figured that’s just how he normally is?”

“No, it’s never like that. He’s usually a lot more… relaxed? I guess. I can't explain. It's just- I felt like something was wrong.”

Hunk shrugged, and Lance continued to look at him. His head was next to Hunk’s crossed legs, and he rested his forehead against Hunk’s warm thigh with a thump as he sighed. When his friend didn’t react, Lance nudged him with his forehead in a silent plea for attention. Hunk put a gentle hand on Lance’s head, and patted him sympathetically.

“I’m sure it’s got nothing to do with you.”

Lance frowned, self conscious. He tried not to sound like he was pouting, and failed. “I didn’t say I thought it did.”

Hunk gave him a look, and Lance knew he knew better. “Just give him some time. You two are in a pretty strange situation. I’m sure he’s just trying to figure out how to act around you. And around me, for that matter. I know I’d be pretty uncomfortable in his shoes.”

At that, Lance felt something drop in his gut. He sat up, and looked at Hunk with wide eyes.

“Do you think I’m making him uncomfortable?”

“That’s not what I--”

“I mean, I’m not making him do anything he doesn’t want. He agreed to this, right? Well, I guess I could do without the unnecessary extra flirting, but that’s just kinda how I ease tension, sometimes, y’know--”

“You’ve been flirting with him?” Hunk asked, bewildered.

Lance shrank at his friend’s stare. “I guess... sorta? A little? Just for fun, as a joke. It's just how I talk to him.”

Hunk looked incredibly weary in that moment, and he let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Lance--”

“He laughs at it, usually! He knows I'm not serious. I didn’t think it was a big deal--”

“Look, buddy, I know that you like to crack jokes, and stuff. And, hey, I bet it does help ease tension, sometimes. But _don’t_ flirt with Keith.”

Lance frowned, sheepish. He avoided Hunk’s eyes, knowing he was about to get a lecture. “It’s not like I mean it.”

“That’s just the thing. You _don't_ mean it, because you _don't_ like Keith. You like Rolo," Hunk asserted. Lance frowned down at Hunk's comforter, tugging at the fabric. "Flirting makes things complicated. I understand doing it in front of Rolo- that’s what Keith agreed to. But apart from that, you _can’t_ do that to him. No wonder he seemed so off, he probably doesn’t know how you guys stand outside of your deal. Or how you should interact. It’s hard to be friends with someone when they don’t drop the dramatics.”

Lance flinched. He looked down at his lap, hands clasped, shoulders drawn in. He wished he could disappear and not have to listen to any of this. But he knew Hunk was speaking the truth. “Yeah, I guess you’re right….”

At Lance’s tone, Hunk eased up. He nudged Lance apologetically in the side. “I know you mean well, Lance. Hell, I know you could never hurt a fly. But sometimes you just… you gotta make yourself a bit more clear, and tone down everything else. Talk to Keith- let him know you want to be friends.”

Lance met Hunk’s eyes, now. He raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “You really think that’d work? This isn't elementary school, I can't just ask someone to be my friend. What if he wants nothing to do with me outside of our deal?”

Hunk shrugged. “I’m sure Keith would appreciate the honesty. He seems like a straightforward guy.”

Lance sighed. “Yeah, okay. I’ll talk to him, today.”

“Good. Do that,” Hunk encouraged. He gave Lance a supportive pat on the back. “I'm proud of you, man.”

Lance smiled. “Thanks.”

Hunk nodded, then grew serious. “Just… remember not to get side-tracked, yeah? You gotta figure out what it is you want, and then act accordingly.”

Lance gave a sharp sigh, and a firm nod. “I want Rolo. That’s why I’m doing this. I want to be back with him.”

Lance was grateful Hunk didn’t point out the waver in his voice- and Lance, himself, didn’t focus too much on the fact that when he said Rolo’s name, he thought about motorcycles, the color maroon, and dark eyes.

* * *

 

Keith opened his door, and took a step back when he found Lance there, his hand raised, a shocked look on his own face.

Keith underwent a mental stutter, then gathered himself. He looked Lance up and down, taking in his dark blue jeans, well fitted, and teal button up with a ridiculous and bright flower pattern. For some reason, Keith didn’t despise it. It actually suited Lance quite well.

“Lance,” Keith greeted, hand going to the strap of his backpack. He tugged on it nervously, his heart giving a light flutter when he focused on blue eyes. He looked away, over Lance’s shoulder, then back at him. “What’s up?”

Lance gave a smile, and it wasn’t the usual flirtatious one he gave Keith every morning. He seemed… tame, somehow. Reserved, and careful. It was an odd thing to see on him.

“Wanna walk to class together?”

Keith tried to smile back. He hoped it didn’t look too strained. “Sure.”

Their walk was silent. Neither knew what to say, and the air was thick with tension. So, rather than focus on everything being left unsaid, Keith looked around him, and away from Lance.

Now that the rain had cleared, the campus looked filled with a new sort of life. Everything was covered with dew in the early light of the day, and the air was cool- the sun pleasantly warm. Keith tried to appreciate it while he could before they’d have to go into the cold lecture hall their art class was in. He suddenly wished he had his jacket.

Then he remembered his hoodie, and felt a wave of heat threaten to crawl up his cheeks. It tingled at his neck, and he suppressed it.

He’d have to ask Lance for it back.

“So,” Lance spoke, “I was thinking…” then he hesitated, and continued, “uh, on Friday, we should do some review for the test coming up.”

Keith was shocked with the topic of conversation, but he nodded. That was the last thing he expected Lance to talk about. Then again, he didn't know exactly what he expected him to say.

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“Cool. Same time as last week?”

“Yeah. That works.”

“Okay. Do you wanna go to the bubble tea shop?”

Keith hesitated. While it was incredibly tempting, he didn’t want to spend any more alone time with Lance than what was necessary. He had to prove to Pidge that there was _nothing_ between them. Also, he couldn't risk getting attached to Lance’s presence when he knew their relationship was nothing more than a deal they made for their own benefits.

“Uh, I was thinking… maybe we could go to the library, instead. Do a group thing, too. If you want. We could invite Hunk and Pidge.”

Lance stalled in his step, and he looked caught off guard. His face fell, but Keith looked away before he could feel guilty.

Boundaries. They needed boundaries.

“Yeah," Lance murmured, hands shoved in his pockets. He shrugged a shoulder, and scuffed a shoe against the ground as he walked. "Sure. That’s fine.”

It was silent, and stayed like that until they got to class. They didn’t talk at all during it, and Lance didn’t lean in once to whisper a joke, or to try and pass notes. In that moment, their relationship reverted back into a stage it never even seemed to have- one they completely skipped over:

The unsure awkwardness of complete strangers.

When they got to history class, Lance didn’t even attempt to flirt in front of Rolo like he normally did. He just smiled, said bye, and went to his seat in the back of the room. Keith felt a hollow feeling in his chest, like he’d really messed up.

Then he remembered seeing Lance in the rain- the terrifyingly foreign feelings that had come with that. Suddenly, he was sure with his decision.

No matter how wrong it felt.

* * *

 

That Friday, Keith drove himself and Pidge to go meet with Shiro. He hadn't spoken with Lance since their last class together on Wednesday- hadn't interacted with him, whatsoever. He couldn't help but feel thrown off when he didn't get his usual text from Lance, talking about studying, something he and Hunk were currently doing, or something quirky that Keith never even necessarily needed to reply to.

But he wouldn't think about Lance until their study session, today. He'd focus on Shiro, binging TV with Pidge, and procrastinate on dealing with all things Lance until four o'clock came along.

Keith parked his bike outside the cafe. Pidge’s arms unwound from around him, and they both hopped off, then walked inside.

Shiro was sitting at a table, and he got up when he saw the two roommates. He was dressed nicely, as usual- a clean white button up, with black slacks. Shiro normally dressed like he was ready to go to a meeting at any point in the day. But this morning he had been teaching a class. Keith knew that if that hadn't been the case, Shiro probably would've been donned in his workout clothes, as he tended to go to the gym this time of the day. The fact that he was interrupting his routine for this showed just how serious he was about getting Pidge and Keith's help. In a way, it made Keith happy to know Shiro still needed him- that there were ways he could help him, after Shiro and his family did so much for him.

Pidge ran over and gave Shiro a big hug, their tiny frame swallowed up by his muscled arms. He laughed, dark eyes bright and squinting with joy as he greeted Pidge happily, who looked up at him and beamed.

Pidge had known Shiro before they'd met Keith, and was incredibly close to him. Shiro was Matt's best friend since they were kids, and ultimately that meant being Pidge's best friend, as well, since they hardly left their brother's side. Keith had somehow avoided ever meeting Pidge. He'd heard of them in conversation, but only known Matt, as he'd always come over to hang out with Shiro. Pidge had escaped Keith's acquaintance until university. Shiro had been absolutely thrilled upon finding out that Pidge and Keith would be going to the same college in the same year. Pidge, who was two years younger than Keith, had graduated early and ultimately ended up in Keith's class. So, when Pidge and Keith were both freaking out about finding a roommate, Shiro had taken it upon himself to introduce them.

They'd gotten along right away- Pidge understood Keith's introverted ways, and once they started bonding over _X-Files_ , they knew they'd be close friends.

Pidge and Shiro parted, and Shiro reached over to Keith, then pulled him into a tight hug, too, ruffling his hair when he tried to resist.

When he let Keith go, he gave the roommates both a big smile, of which Pidge returned while Keith tried to smooth out his hair, a grumpy frown on his face.

“Since you two are here to help me out, brunch is on me,” he beamed.

Pidge was still grinning. “I won’t say no to that.”

Shiro ordered them a lot of food: spinach and mushroom omelettes with roasted potatoes, blueberry wheat pancakes, fresh cranberry scones, and some coffee. They worked on their food as they conversed at a table by the cafe’s front windows, overlooking the historic area it sat in. This town was right past their university, and it was an incredibly popular place to hang out. Brick buildings held antique stores, restaurants, bars, clothing stores, bookstores, and other shops. They surrounded narrow roads, and fairy lights hung above the streets- turned off, as it was daytime. But when night hit, the streets would be engulfed in lights like stars, and anybody passing by would guess it was Christmas here year-round. Or that the night sky had dropped to the ground.

Keith's eyes counted the black wrought-iron street lamps that lined the road, and trailed on to look down the road at the park with a big white gazebo, not too far off from the cafe.

It was a nice, secluded town. He found he liked the isolation of it all- the nature that engulfed it.

A pleasant, clean light filtered into the shop, and bathed their table in a warm glow. Keith realized he was truly relaxed for the first time this week, fingers curled around his coffee cup as he leaned back in the booth he was sat next to Pidge in.

“So, Shiro, what’s your plan?” Pidge asked, leaning forward with a scheming look in their eyes.

Shiro quirked a thick brow at them, though his mouth lifted in a fond smile. He lifted his coffee cup to his face, and gently blew on it. “Nothing that calls for you to give me your ‘evil scientist’ look,” he spoke before he took a sip.

Pidge huffed, deflating and falling back dramatically into their seat. They crossed their arms over their chest, glowering at Shiro. “Then I don’t know why I’m here.”

“Because, I’m gonna need your tech skills to pull this off. You guys remember where Allura and I had our first kiss, right?”

“Room 358 in the art building,” Keith replied, giving his brother a teasing smile. “You’ve told us the story a hundred times.”

“It’s literally the most cheesy thing in the entire world,” Pidge supplied, “I wanna yack just thinking about it.”

It _was_ pretty sappy. Keith could remember it quite clearly, from the calls he and Shiro would have every week once Shiro had gone to university. These calls consisted mostly of Shiro rambling on about Allura like a lovesick teenager. They had both been smitten with each other since the moment they met in class and, if Keith was going to be honest, he was surprised it took them three months to finally get together. It should have been so obvious, right from the start. They were so completely in love, there was no doubting it. He wondered how two people could possibly have been so oblivious.

The story of their first kiss could easily be the most romantic scene of cinematic history, had it been made into a movie. Their love story, in its entirety, could have been a worldwide famous romantic-drama. Keith suddenly thought of Lance’s inclination for such films, and instantly hated himself for doing so.

When Shiro finally confessed to Allura, she was dealing with the first anniversary of the passing of her father. Allura had coped with it the only way she knew how- by moving, constantly. She never allowed herself any rest, working ceaselessly and always on her feet. She avoided Shiro, missed class a few times, and Keith still remembered the concern in Shiro's voice when he had called Keith around this time- how much he was worried about Allura. Eventually, she became more and more withdrawn, keeping busy, and to herself. 

Until Shiro stepped in, that was.

Allura had been involved in a project for her art class, in which she was assigned to plan and lead an event at the university. It was meant to be an interviewing panel, and she had to invite the head of the Art Board, and the curator of the museum downtown. They would host art created by students, professors, and pieces by local artists in one giant exhibit. She committed herself to this task in order to distract herself from her troubles, and when Shiro found her, she was staying late in room 358 of the art building, working and evidently exhausted. Her professor, worn down by Allura's insistence, had given her the room, trusting her to close the door behind her when she left, and so Allura worked relentlessly into the night.

It was midnight when Shiro finally found her there, going on a tip from her roommate. Allura had dismissed his concerns and attempt at help, telling him to let her work. But Shiro was as stubborn as her, and he didn't back down, saying he'd be there for her whether she needed his help or not. She had ignored him at that, until Shiro took her hand to get her attention.

According to Allura, the look Shiro had given her in that moment was the most love-filled expression anybody had ever given her in her life. Even before she knew what those feelings between them were, she _felt_ it, and it overwhelmed her with calm and chaotic emotions all at once.

She had been the one to instigate the kiss. With the way Shiro had described it- the desperation, exhilaration, and peace all at once, Keith always pictured that fireworks had gone off in the background. He wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case, with how Shiro talked about the moment.

Shiro crossed his arms from across the table, giving Pidge and Keith a look at their responses.

“Thanks for the support, guys,” Shiro spoke sarcastically.

“Anytime,” Pidge smiled.

“So you’re gonna propose to her in the art building?” Keith asked, trying to bring the conversation back to the matter at hand.

Shiro grinned. “Sort of, yeah,” he revealed. Then he leaned forward, and his eyes grew serious. “But I’m going to need both of you to help me pull it off.”

Pidge clasped their hands together, forming a steeple under their chin. "What do you need us to do?"

* * *

 

It was two o’clock when they’d finished at the cafe. Shiro walked them out to Keith's bike, and frowned. He sighed before he spoke.

"I know I can't change your mind about your mode of transportation, and I accept that, now--"

"Liar," Keith interrupted. Shiro went on.

"But you really shouldn't be letting Pidge on that thing."

Pidge crossed their arms, giving Shiro a hard stare. "C'mon, Shiro, we both know I'm tougher than Keith."

"Oh, I have no doubt of that," Shiro agreed, ignoring an incredulous noise from Keith, "it's more of his driving I'm worried about."

"I'll go the speed limit," Keith growled, putting a hand on his hip. Shiro stared him down.

"Keith. You think that going ten miles above the speed limit is _slow."_

"That _is_ slow!"

Shiro sighed audibly. He looked at Pidge wearily. "God, Matt's gonna kill me if he finds out I let you on a motorcycle."

Pidge raised a brow. "But Matt isn't going to find out, _is he?”_

Shiro gave a helpless shrug. "You know how it is. Things just slip out when it comes to him. He's gonna find out one way or another- it’s how you two are alike."

"I'll make sure he doesn't go more than five above the speed limit," Pidge promised, and slapped Keith's side when he started to protest.

Shiro frowned, contemplating. "Fine. Just, get on the bike while I pretend to stop you. That way I can tell Matt I tried."

Pidge grinned, giving Shiro a hug. "See you soon. You’re stopping by, next time. Try and drag Matt with you," they spoke, getting on the bike as Keith did. Shiro smiled.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you guys, then.”

“You better!” Pidge demanded. The roommates put on their helmets, and Shiro spoke.

"No... don't... don't do it... come back here... oh no... don't do that... get off that bike... stop..." he droned on in a monotone, face blank with resignation.

Keith started up the engine, and Pidge laughed, giving Shiro a wave before they drove off.

The sky was clear and sunny, and traffic was light. Keith happily weaved between cars, and allowed himself to go five miles above the speed limit, just to take the off the edge that had been engulfing his mood, lately. Whenever he went above five, Pidge smacked his chest in a wordless command to slow down. It happened about ten times in the fifteen minute drive back to their campus.

He couldn't help it, though. Driving cleared his mind- _speeding_ cleared his mind. It was where he found himself most at peace. The adrenaline of it all, the feeling of being free- how nothing could possibly confine him when he's going ninety down an empty highway. It was liberating, calming... it was the only thing that could always make Keith feel better, no matter the situation.

And he hated that he was currently only three above sixty-five, barely speeding back towards where his problems laid in wait for him.

He felt like he was suffocating- like walls were closing in on him, and there was no escape.

He didn't know if he could face Lance, today- didn't know if he could handle this, anymore. Sure, he'd felt fine with it, before. He'd actually been _enjoying_ himself. But then Pidge had to go and fuck up his acceptance with the situation he found in, and now Keith was left with an enormous bucket overflowing with feelings he didn't even know the names of, let alone what to do with, and it was tipping over and drowning him.

So, when they got back to the dorm, Keith was left with nothing to do but sit and wait for the evening to play itself out.

It seemed he couldn't do that much, even.

"Alright," Pidge snapped, pausing the TV where they were currently continuing their _X-Files_ binge while sprawled out on Pidge's bed. Keith's roommate turned to look at him, and frowned. "Stop."

Keith blinked, straightening up. He'd been sitting with his legs crossed and, sure, while he hadn't particularly been paying attention to the episode they were on, he didn't think he'd been doing anything to interrupt it.

"What?" he questioned.

"Stop squirming. And tapping your fingers, or shaking your leg, or pulling at your shirt. Just- if you don't wanna watch, you don't have to. Just stop shaking my bed," Pidge rambled, and Keith could tell he had reached the end of their patience. Which wasn't very impressive, though, because Pidge had zero tolerance for bullshit of any kind.

"Sorry," he murmured, getting off the bed and going over to his side of the room. He retrieved his phone, checked it, pocketed it, and began pacing, checking his phone intermittently. After a few minutes walking around, trying and failing to calm his nerves, he spoke.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with?"

“I’m not going to study with you guys, Keith,” Pidge spoke in a drawl. “Whatever personal business you have to deal with, you gotta do it alone.”

"There's no _business_ to deal with," Keith defended. "It's just studying."

Pidge raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Oh, definitely. I could see that with how you acted like a literal robot, Tuesday night."

Keith crossed his arms. He could feel his face warm with anger. “That whole thing was _your_ fault.”

“It’s definitely not my fault that you don’t understand your feelings.”

“I was _fine_ with just hanging out with him! Things were okay until you had to make it all weird--”

“So you _admit_ it’s weird! That’s basically a confession, Keith. Because, if you didn’t like him, none of it would be weird.”

"It's not- that's not what I," Keith stuttered, trying to gather his wits. He let out a frustrated noise, and kept his arms crossed as he continued to pace. Pidge sighed, giving him a softer look, then.

"Look. The moment you admit what you feel to yourself is the moment you'll feel better about all of this."

"There is _nothing._ I don't feel _anything_ about him. I barely _know_ him."

"Keith--" Pidge began, but Keith snapped. He didn't want to hear anymore of it.

"It was good!" he exclaimed. "Everything was normal until you butted into it! See- this is why I didn't want to tell you. Because you always wanna meddle--"

"You know what's a lot easier than blaming other people for your emotional issues?" Pidge interrupted, voice hard. They glared. "Dealing with it yourself."

Keith scowled, and he didn't bother with an answer. Instead, he went to his dresser, gathering some clothes.

"I'm gonna shower," he murmured before going into the bathroom, and shutting the door harder than necessary behind him.

He cranked the water on hot, and tried to focus on the heat of it as it seared his back.

Boundaries. That was what Keith had agreed to. And it was what he would do.

In a way, he was glad Pidge had meddled. Because now he realized he’d been getting way too invested- this whole thing brought emotions out of him that he only reserved for _important_ things. The fact that he was so angry over this- over _Lance._

It was just the final push.

He couldn’t do the study session, today, Keith realized. Not when he was all pent up- not when the week had been so _goddamned_ weird. It couldn’t happen.

He’d cancel. It was the right thing to do.

_Boundaries._

When Keith finished with his shower, and changed into his clothes, he walked back into his room to find it empty. Pidge was gone- the backpack that normally sat on their desk chair was gone, and one of the drawers to their dresser was still pulled open.

Keith felt guilt worm its way into his gut, and he stamped it down.

Too much. This was all too much.

He was doing the right thing, cancelling on Lance. Setting boundaries. This had made him argue with Pidge- they’d _never_ argued with each other, before.

He hated it.

So Keith walked over to his bed, sat down, and composed a message.

He deleted it, then rewrote it. Then put his phone down, flung himself on his bed, and buried his face in his pillow. He groaned dramatically, reached out a blind hand to fumble around his comforter, feeling for the metal of his phone. He found it, picked up, and deleted the message, again.

He must have written it fifteen times, and deleted it after every read. It all seemed so wrong- none of it sounded how he wanted it to.

It was almost four o’clock when Keith wrote another message. He swallowed as he read it- it _still_ didn’t sound right. But he was running out of time, and it was now or never.

His finger hovered over the send button. He drew it away, then went back to it a bunch of times, staring hard at the message, glaring at his phone- as if it was the source of all his problems.

Taking a deep breath, Keith sat up. He looked the message over once more, and put his thumb over the send button. Before Keith could send it, though, a knock sounded at his door. It startled him, made him jump in his spot, and he looked to his door with wide eyes, then at the time.

It was 3:55.

He quickly deleted the message, then made his way to the door.

When he opened it, Lance was there, and there was a look of determination on his face that threw Keith completely off.

“Hey. Can I talk to you?” he asked, before Keith could even greet him.

Keith blinked, then raised an eyebrow. “Uh,” he murmured, and looked out into the hallway before looking back at Lance, and nodding. “Yeah. Sure. Do you, uh, do you wanna come in?”

Lance nodded in agreement, and he looked almost queasy with nerves. When Keith shut the door behind him, Lance didn’t even bother to walk further into the room. They were both stood in the narrow entrance that led off the door, Lance looming only slightly over Keith, and he tried to step back as he stumbled with his words.

“Okay. So, there’s a few things- there’s just some stuff I need to, that I really gotta get out there.”

Keith tried to give him a reassuring look, but knew it fell flat. “Yeah?”

Lance took a deep breath, and he looked sick. He hesitated, then a look of resolution filled his features. “First, I want to be friends. With you. If, uh, that wasn’t clear, before, then I’m really sorry. I tend to- I don’t know, I just flirt, and I make things strange and awkward, and I promised I wouldn’t make this weird, but I did anyways. So, uhm, I’m gonna stop. I’m gonna stop flirting outside of the deal we made. I didn’t mean it, and I didn’t realize it would--”

“Lance,” Keith interrupted, and he hoped his impatience didn’t show. He pushed back the urge to sigh, and tried to make his tone kinder. “You’re rambling.”

Lance nodded, taking another deep breath, and he let it out slowly. He took a moment to compose himself “I know. I’m sorry. I, uh, so I noticed you were… that you were acting different. And, I mean, I know you said it has nothing to do with me. But I talked with Hunk, and he made it clear that I should probably cut down with the unnecessary flirting, and just… be honest with you, I guess? Communicate better, and all that. So that’s… that’s what I’m doing. Right now. And I want you to know, I really want to be friends. Even- even after this is done. I like you, and I like hanging out with you. You’re really cool, and funny, and I know it hasn’t been long, but I think you’re just- I have _fun_ when I’m around you, and I’d like to be able to keep this going- what we have… it’s just natural, and… nice, y’know?”

Keith didn’t know what to say, and Lance searched his eyes frantically. He gave a nervous laugh, but it was forced.

“Am I… is this weird?”

Keith chuckled, and he felt lighter than he had in ages. The voice that had been screaming _boundaries_ was muted, now, and it seemed weak against Lance- against his presence, and energy, and alluring blue eyes. All of Keith’s logic went out the window, and he just _wanted_ this. Whatever it was.

He deserved to have it. He deserved to have something nice.

“A little,” Keith decided. When Lance looked crestfallen, he continued. “But I get what you mean. And… yeah, I wanna be friends… too, I guess.”

Lance smiled at that, and it reached his eyes, and suddenly everything seemed like it was back to normal. “Geez, Keith, I emptied out my heart and soul to you, and the best you can do is ‘I guess’?”

“The fact that I was able to say more than five words on the matter should be good enough,” Keith reprimanded him, and Lance laughed.

“Alright, alright. True.” Lance’s smile softened, and his eyes met Keith’s. “Really, though. I’m gonna cut down on the flirting. And just… I want us to hang out, one on one, without it being weird.”

Keith smiled. “We can do that.”

Lance brightened, and his grin was blinding. Like the sun, like the moon, like the stars- like fairy lights hanging over an old town, bringing the sky to the ground. Like all of it, and more. “Cool. So, are we good?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Well… uh, now that that’s done with. Are you ready to go to the library?”

At that, Keith frowned, and made a playful face of consideration. Lance looked immediately on edge, and he watched Keith carefully. His expression almost made Keith laugh.

He hummed before sighing long and drawn, and saying, “I don’t know… I think I’m feeling like bubble tea. Do you know a good place?”

Keith didn’t think he’d ever seen Lance happier. He found himself photographing the moment in his mind, and tucking it away.

Screw the complications. He liked hanging out with Lance. He liked _Lance,_ for that matter. In what way that was, he couldn’t care less.

Keith just wanted to keep this feeling going.

* * *

 

"No, no, okay, look- the difference between a flying buttress and regular buttress is that a regular buttress is attached to the wall," Lance traced his pen along the picture in the textbook, "and is sometimes a _part_ of the wall. So it's connected, right? See, look at this photo," and he tapped his pen against the photo on the next page, "the columns are separate from the wall, see? That's the flying buttress--"

"Lance. I can't possibly take you seriously when you keep saying buttress."

Lance frowned. "That's just what they're called. Buttresses are the--"

"Say buttress one more time," Keith interrupted, resting his elbow on the table, and meeting Lance's eyes as he propped his cheek on his hand.

Lance snorted at that, then rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. Do you get the difference now, though?"

"Yeah, sure. But, hey, remind me- what were they called, again?"

"You're such a dick," Lance replied with a laugh, taking Keith's textbook, and flipping through the pages, then comparing to his own notes. "Alright. Page one-thirty. The Notre-Dame," Lance spoke, and he turned the textbook to face Keith, pointing at the photo showing the structure of the cathedral. "What kind of buttress is that?"

Keith groaned. "Please don't make me say it."

Lance just tapped the photo impatiently. "Come on, Keith. Professor Klein is gonna want an example. The tests aren't multiple choice, you know."

Sighing, Keith glanced at the picture. "Ugh. I don't know. Regular buttress?"

Lance gave Keith a look. "Dude. No. Okay, uhm... so, you know the qualities of Gothic architecture, right? The ones we went over last week? Did you study those notecards I gave you?"

Keith nodded, so Lance continued.

"Okay. So, the Notre-Dame is from the Gothic period. And a lot of Gothic architecture used flying buttresses. In fact, they're popularized during that period. Look, see the structure around the apse? Those are flying buttresses. The Notre-Dame was actually one of the first buildings in the world to use them, and that's because the walls were so thin that stress fractures came up because they were being pushed outwards. So, the architects built support for it around the outside walls here, and then continued to do this as the regular pattern."

Lance rambled on and, to be honest, Keith couldn't find it the least bit interesting. But for some reason, he payed attention, encapsulated by the way Lance's voice spoke excitedly- how his long fingers traced certain sections of the photo as he talked, and how his eyes focused on the page, but occasionally looked up to check on Keith to make he understood.

And, well, Keith _was_ focusing. But it wasn't on flying buttresses.

"Keith? You following me?" Lance asked, snapping Keith out of his reverie.

Keith started, lifting his head up from his hand. He blinked a few times before letting out an elegant, "Uhhh...."

Lance, however, was endlessly patient. He gave Keith a reassuring smile, and pulled out his laptop from his bag. He got up, and sat next to Keith in the booth they managed to snag. His leg pressed against Keith's, and it was warm.

"Here, I'll show you a few examples. Then I'll pull up some more photos, and have you tell me the difference. Once you nail it, we'll move on. Sound good?"

Keith nodded, swallowing and finding his mouth inexplicably dry. "Yeah."

Lance pulled up photos of old buildings on Google, and explained the differences in the structure, covering some other architectural terms they were supposed to learn for the test on Monday. Keith tried to follow along, and forced himself to ignore the smell of Lance's shampoo, and how when his shoulder brushed Keith's, he had to resist the urge to lean into him. It took every fibre of his being to stay still, and straight up. He didn't let himself touch Lance more than what was necessary.

Once Keith managed to clear his head, and was able to name all parts of the building (a good thirty minutes later), Lance gave him a high five, a smile on his face.

"Awesome job, man! You're getting the hang of this."

Keith smiled, and gave a shrug. "Thanks to you."

Lance beamed at that, then leaned over the table to grab his book.

"Alright. Now we can move onto the Rococo period."

Keith blinked. "Was that English?" he teased, but it flew over Lance's head.

"French, actually. A movement that started in the early eighteenth century, and was a sort of protest against the more symmetrical and strict style of the Baroque period before it," Lance explained, and he flipped to the right page as he talked.

The only thing that kept Keith from staring at Lance's profile as he talked was the upcoming test looming over him. So he pushed aside his feelings, and the cloudiness in his head, and focused as much as he could.

And when Lance complemented Keith when he got a question right, blue eyes bright and smiling, grin cheeky, Keith definitely didn't try a little bit harder just to bring that look back on Lance's face. Or to experience the rush of warmth whenever Lance smiled at him like that.

Nope. Not at all.

* * *

 

Keith hadn't seen Pidge since Friday afternoon. He was starting to get worried, but refused to text them. So he sent a quick message to Matt, and got one back moments later. Matt revealed that Pidge was staying at his place, sulking. He asked Keith what had happened, but Keith didn't reply to that, not sure what he could say.

_Well, Matt, I got hung up over a boy, and let it affect my relationship with my best-friend-slash-your-younger-sibling. We got in a fight because I don't know how to deal with my emotions, so then I told Pidge it was all their fault. Y'know, just me being a shitty friend._

Yeah, that wouldn’t fly over so well with Shiro when Matt inevitably told him.

So he spent his Saturday alone, waiting until it was time for him to meet up with Lance.

Keith had woken up at eight in the morning, after a hard night's rest, and found he couldn't go back to sleep. So he got up, went to the gym, and worked out for two hours before going back to his dorm, showering, and taking some homework to the dining hall to work on while he ate breakfast. It was almost one when he got back to his dorm, and he found that he had absolutely no idea what to do until it was time to leave.

So he binge-watched some Netflix, and lazed around on his bed, trying not to pout.

He didn't notice how used to Pidge's company he'd gotten. Now that they were gone, and mad at him, he realized how much he depended on them being here- even if they didn't speak, at all. Their presence had become a sort of comfort to Keith.

He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

What if it got that way with Hunk and Lance?

Keith sighed, shaking his head. He paused the show he'd been watching, and closed his laptop, laying back in his bed.

It was only four. He could take a quick nap....

Keith glanced over at Pidge's side of the room, and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

 

"Is Keith ready, yet?" Hunk asked.

"I don't know, man," Lance murmured, sending Keith another text. He shrugged on his jacket, and looked over at Hunk and Shay where they stood together in the room. Shay was staring longingly at Hunk, but she jumped when Lance spoke, and turned to look at him, meeting his eyes. Lance resisted the urge to tease the two.

It would _not_ be hard getting them together.

“Do you think he’s alright?” Shay asked, and she sounded worried, even though she’d never met Keith.

She was so sweet, just like Hunk.

Lance checked his phone, again. "He just isn't replying. I think I'm gonna stop by his room."

Hunk blinked, looking slightly panicked. "Oh. Uh, okay. We can come with you," he offered, but Lance gave him a big smile.

"Nah, you two stay here. I'll only be a minute," Lance insisted, pocketing his phone. Before Hunk could protest, or give him the “I’m going to kill you” look, he slipped out the door, and headed to Keith's room.

When he got there, he knocked on the door.

No response.

Sighing, he rapped his knuckles louder, and let the echo of it settle in the hall. "Keith?" he called through the door.

Still nothing. Lance knocked again, and waited. "Buddy? You in there?"

He checked his phone. It was five minutes until six. Maybe Keith was showering and running late, or something....

As he was about to knock, again, the door swung open.

Keith's eyes were drowsily squinted, hair messy and tangled, and he was dressed in a baggy sweater and his ripped black jeans. He didn't seem to fully register that Lance was at the door, probably still half asleep, so Lance spoke up.

"Hey," he greeted, fighting back a smile, and failing. "Were you sleeping?"

Keith blinked, then, and he seemed to register his surroundings. "Lance?" he spoke, voice gravelly, and Lance blinked in shock at it. He felt his blood run just the slightest bit warmer.

Lance smiled softly. "You ready to go?"

Then Keith seemed to come to earth. His eyes grew wider, and he straightened up. "Oh- wait, is it--"

"There’s no rush, really," Lance insisted. "I was just worried. You just weren't answering your phone."

Keith looked sheepish. "Sorry. I think it's on silent. I'll, uh, just get ready really quick?"

Lance nodded, then spoke up. "Do you mind if I hang here while you do? I left Hunk and Shay alone in our room," he spoke mischievously, and that gained a smile from Keith.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, opening his door wider. Lance stepped in with a thanks, walking over to Pidge's desk chair. He spun it around, and sat backwards on it, resting his arms on the top of the backrest.

"Where's Pidge at?" he asked as Keith rifled through his drawers, pulling out a shirt and some socks.

Keith didn't meet Lance's eyes when he spoke.

"Visiting their brother."

Lance blinked. "Oh, right. They said that, before. I forgot."

There was something in Keith's voice, though. Lance couldn't put his finger on it.

The thought was immediately pushed away, however, when Keith proceeded to strip himself of his sweater in front of Lance.

Lance blinked, and his mind told himself to look away, but the command didn't make it to his muscles.

Keith was... well, _fit._ His shoulders were broad, waist narrow, and arms lean but strong.

Before he could ogle any longer, Keith pulled on a white short-sleeved button up. He buttoned it slowly, still seeming like he was waking up. Keith sniffed sleepily, and Lance watched him as his fingers worked, admiring the fit of the shirt over his shoulders. It had a chest pocket, with a thin line of black on the top. The collar had the same thin black embroidery along the edge of it, and it looked clean-cut and nice. When Keith was done, he turned to meet Lance's eyes, catching him staring. He raised an eyebrow.

Lance looked away, and cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks warm up. "Your hair is..." he murmured, making a crazy waving hand gesture towards his own hair.

Keith's hand flew to his mess of hair, and he tried smoothing it down, to no avail. So he searched through his jean pockets, and pulled out an elastic, pulling his hair back.

Keith had a nice neck. Was that a weird thing to notice?

Dismissing the thought, Lance spoke up. "You ready to go?"

Keith nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah. One sec," he spoke, and his voice was still grated with sleep. He walked to his bed and grabbed his phone. "Is it cold out?" he asked.

"A little chilly," Lance replied.

So Keith went for his well-fitted leather jacket, of all things, and Lance cursed his luck.

It was hard staying faithful to his plan to get Rolo back when Keith went around looking like _that._

Then he remembered his promise to flirt less, and pushed down the feeling. However, it wasn’t his fault that Keith was incredibly good-looking, and that Lance had not gotten any in too long.

Keith pulled on his boots, and stood up. "Ready," he spoke before yawning. Lance quirked a brow.

"You sure you're good to go?" he asked.

Keith waved a hand. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep much, last night."

Lance's interest piqued. He couldn't help his curious nature.

"Oh yeah? So... what were you doing all night?"

Keith looked at Lance and smiled, raising an eyebrow. Lance wasn't sneaky with his prying- they both knew what he was really asking.

"Just watching Netlfix. By myself," he clarified.

"Ah. Okay."

Keith was still smiling, and he gestured to the door. "Should we go?"

Lance blinked. "Right. Yeah." He got up, and walked with Keith to the door. As they walked to Lance's room, he spoke up, rambling to fill the silence.

"So, Hunk is totally head over heels for Shay. And she feels the same for him, but they've been friends for over a year now, and nobody will make the first move. This afternoon is kinda gonna be a small get together, but can also be a double date, depending on how the night goes. Just to break the ice."

Keith gave a thoughtful hum. "That's actually really clever."

Lance beamed. "Thanks! I think so, too."

Keith hesitated. "So what are you gonna introduce me to Shay as?"

"My friend," Lance answered, and he met Keith's eyes. "Is that good?"

Keith smiled. "Yeah."

* * *

 

"If you play another song by Taylor Swift, I will fight you," Keith deadpanned from the passenger seat of Lance's car. Lance gasped scandalously.

"Don't insult my girl. Her music is amazing."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Not back to back, ten times."

"Excuse you, I only played five."

"God, they last forever."

"I'm afraid to find out your true music taste, Keith."

"It's better than yours."

"Okay, you two," Hunk called from the back, where he was sat with Shay. "That's enough. Lance, no more Swift. Put on something else."

Lance sighed. "Fine," he relented, and he picked up his phone, shuffling through his Spotify. Keith took the phone from his hand, and Lance let out a "Hey!"

"You're driving. No phone. I'll choose the music," he asserted, and he went into the search bar, typing with his thumb.

"Oh, this oughta be good," Lance teased. Keith prickled, but ignored him. He’d prove Lance wrong. He already had the band selected, and he just needed to pick a song. Maybe a more famous one, just to be safe….

He knew which to choose.

So he selected it, and reached over to turn up the volume.

When the music started, Lance looked shocked. A pleasantly light thrum and gentle beat filled the car. When the singer came in, his smooth voice sang, and then the beat picked up. Lance looked shocked, and spoke up.

"Woah. I, uh... actually like this. What is it?"

Keith smiled triumphantly. "Gooey. The band is Glass Animals."

Lance let out a low "Huh", and he seemed to really start listening to it.

Shay spoke up from the back.

"I love this song,” she complimented, and Keith turned to look at her. “Have you listened to their new album?”

Keith smiled. “The moment it came out.”

“Isn’t it great?” she gushed. “I think they’re having a concert here, soon. If I can get the money, I’m going to go.”

“My roommate and I might be going,” Keith told her. Then he hesitated. “You can come with us, if you want.”

“I’d love that!” Shay exclaimed. Hunk looked happy, smiling at Shay and Keith’s interactions. When the song came to a close, Hunk spoke.

"Dude. I think Keith might have better music taste than you."

Lance let out an incredulous noise. He glanced at Hunk through the rearview mirror "Et tu, Brutus?"

Keith laughed. "Don't worry, Lance. You can choose the next song and try to redeem yourself."

Lance gave a huff. "Challenge accepted."

When the song was over, and they hit a red light, Lance typed in the next one.

The voice that sang was familiar to Keith, but he couldn't put a name to it.... He felt like it was obvious, but he never did keep up with famous artists, even though he tried to. He waited for Lance to say something, and didn’t have to wait long.

"Beyonce wins. Every time,” he spoke before the lyrics came up, and he sang along to it enthusiastically, dancing to the best of his ability as he drove.

Hunk let out a noise of agreement. “Yeah. Lance is right. Sorry, Keith.”

Keith opened his mouth to protest, but he caught the way Lance belted out the lyrics- his dramatics on display as he drove. Though he was singing jokingly, his voice was still... nice. Keith watched Lance sing for a moment, before he decided to keep quiet.

 _Honey honey,_ _  
_ _I can see the stars all the way from here,_ _  
_ _Can't you see the glow on the window pane,_ _  
_ _I can feel the sun whenever you're near,_ _  
__Every time you touch me I just melt away--_

Hunk joined in with Lance’s singing, and Shay let out a sunny laugh. Keith couldn’t help it when the two held hands and sang dramatically to one another, and he laughed along with Shay, smacking Lance’s arm lightly and telling him to watch the road. But, in response, Lance just turned to hold Keith’s hand and pull him close as he danced, and then Hunk’s hand was on Keith’s shoulder as he also joined in, trying to sway Keith back and forth as as the roommates serenaded him. Keith rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, and rolled along with it.

When the song was over, and everyone’s hands were off of him, Hunk and Lance laughing at one another, Keith took Lance's phone, and scrolled through his playlist. He looked at the options, and rested his elbow on the center console before he spoke.

"You know, for someone who defended The Beatles so passionately, you have a surprising lack of them on your playlist."

Lance put his arm on the console, too, and it rested against Keith's, warm and firm. Keith resisted the urge to pull away from it.

 _Touching each other isn't weird unless you make it,_ he thought to himself.  _Lance is touchy. He touches everyone. Don't make this something it's not._

Lance put his hand on his phone, and his fingers brushed Keith's own. He glanced quickly, and tapped on the option to pull up all his playlists.

"There's one there titled ‘art’. It's my inspirational playlist. It has mostly slow songs, and I listen to it when I paint or draw. That one has my favorite Beatles songs."

Keith, interested, made to tap on the playlist before Lance spoke up.

"Nuh, uh! Nope. You can't look at it until I've shown you the best Beatles song."

Keith raised an eyebrow, looking up, and his eyes caught on Lance's profile. He suddenly realized he was meant to reply, and snapped out of his reverie. "When will that be?"

Lance hummed thoughtfully. "How about after our classes on Monday?"

Keith's eyes ran down Lance's curved jaw, and he looked down at the phone in his hand, going back to Lance's 'car jams' playlist. He smiled. "Sure."

They pulled into the rollerskating rink not much later. The sun was low in the sky, and the old-looking building that held the rink was modestly busy. When they got inside, they payed for rollerblades at the front room, then walked through double doors into the main room that held the skating rink.

Keith had never actually been rollerskating, before. But he wasn't about to let Lance know that. He'd play along, and learn as he went.

How hard could it be, right?

The answer was very.

Keith even took longer than everyone just getting his blades on. When Hunk and Shay offered to wait for him, Keith had insisted they go ahead and skate. So they went into the rink while Lance stayed back, and skated circles around Keith on the carpeted floor as he waited. He just narrowly avoided the bench Keith was sat on with every sharp, quick turn he made. Keith had the feeling that Lance was doing it to show off.

"You need help, buddy?" he asked. He wasn't teasing him, but Keith still bristled.

"No. The laces are just really undone."

Lance came to an abrupt stop in front of Keith. Despite his denial for help, Lance knelt down, and tugged Keith’s calf towards him. He worked on the right skate while Keith was on the left. His deft fingers laced the skates quickly, and Keith paused, watching him do so, trying not to think about how close to his lap Lance's face was.

He swallowed hard, ignored the brown head of hair so close to his face, and focused on finishing up with lacing his skate.

If Lance noticed his fingers fumbling slightly, he didn't comment on it.

When he got his skates tied up, Lance stood up with a triumphant smile, and put his hands on his hips. "Alright. Let's go."

Keith nodded, and stood up. He didn't automatically fall, and breathed out a sigh of relief.

So he took a confident roll forward.

And lost his balance, pinwheeling his arms as he fell backwards.

He didn't hit the ground, though, and instead landed into something firm. Arms hooked under his own, and he rolled back slightly from Lance's own skates.

 _"Woah!_ Keith, you okay?" he asked, steadying them before lifting Keith up, and skating so he was in front of him, holding his forearms.

Keith gripped onto Lance's own forearms, and he flicked his gaze to Lance's before looking at the floor. He cleared his throat.

"I, uh... may or may not have... never really been rollerskating."

Lance blinked in shock. Then he laughed, but it was good natured. Keith smiled, and then laughed, too. Then Lance began skating backwards, pulling Keith along with him, and Keith's laugh was cut short as his body involuntarily leaned towards Lance’s, looking for balance.

"Well, just follow my lead. It isn't too hard once you get the feel for it," he insisted, not even loosening his grip on Keith as he brought them into the rink.

Keith nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Lance met Keith's eyes. "I won't let go until you tell me to. Okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's... thanks."

Lance smiled brightly, and he rolled Keith along, looking behind him every now and then to make sure the coast was clear. The roller rink was dark, lit by multicolored party lights. Purples, yellows, and greens lit Lance’s hair and skin, and he looked surreal.

When they made turns, Lance went as slow as he could, guiding Keith along gently.

After a few minutes, Keith spoke up.

"I think I got it," he insisted, not sure how much longer he could take Lance holding him like this.

Lance raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Keith nodded. "Yeah. I'm good."

"Okay," Lance relented, and he slowly let go of Keith's arms.

Keith skated forward, arms outstretched. Though he wobbled a bit, he didn't fall. A wide smile stretched his lips. Lance let out a laugh.

"Hey! You got it!"

"Yeah," Keith agreed. "I think I--"

Before he could finish the sentence, someone rammed into his back before speeding off, and Keith toppled forward.

Lance was there in an instant, arms outstretched, and Keith crashed ungracefully into his chest with an _oof!_

Lance's arms wound around Keith, and he almost fell back before catching himself, tilting his foot at an angle, braking and keeping them from meeting the hard, polished wooden floor.

"You okay?" he heard Lance ask worriedly, and he tilted his face up from Lance's chest to look up at his face.

Damn. His eyes were _really_ blue.

Did he always have freckles all over his nose?

"Keith?" Lance insisted, looking worried.

His arms were wound around Lance, torso leaned completely onto him. Lance tugged him up with his arms, which were tucked under Keith's, and Keith proceeded to come back to earth. He struggled to stand upwards, his hands on Lance's shoulders to push himself up. He put some space between them.

"Y-yeah. I'm, uh. I'm fine," he replied, hating the stutter in his voice.

Lance looked around, catching sight of who ran into Keith. He gave them a glare. "What a jerk," he murmured. He looked back to Keith, who was still gazing at Lance. His blue eyes looked concerned, and he frowned as he looked Keith over. "You sure you're good?"

Keith nodded. "Yeah."

Lance seemed like he was going to say something, but then his eyes looked over Keith's shoulder, and he smiled.

"Oh my god. Look," he spoke quickly, excitedly patting Keith's arm to get his attention as he pointed where he'd been looking.

Keith turned to look, and saw Hunk and Shay skating together, Shay holding onto the end of Hunk's sleeve. They were talking, and Hunk had the biggest smile on his face as Shay laughed at something he said, twining her arm around Hunk's as she giggled. He looked incredibly flustered, but took it well, reaching for her hand and twining their fingers.

"They're _so_ cute," Lance sighed, and Keith turned to look at him, thrown at the absolute _adoration_ in Lance's eyes. He didn't know what to say, and when he didn't respond Lance turned to look at him, then looked sheepish. "Sorry. I'm such a sap."

Keith smiled, then, and bumped his hand against Lance's arm. "You are. But it's... nice," he complimented, looking over at Hunk and Shay. "They do look really happy."

"I know, right. You’re welcome for the _best idea ever,”_ he spoke in Hunk’s general direction, though he obviously couldn’t hear him. Keith laughed.

“You’re gonna brag when you guys get back, aren’t you?”

“Oh, yeah. For sure.”

“You’re a great friend,” Keith deadpanned, and Lance giggled before looking back at Hunk and Shay. They watched them for a moment, and Lance sighed. He seemed so much sadder, suddenly.

“God, I want that," he lamented, speaking mostly to himself, but Keith caught it.

He looked at Lance, again, and he caught the sadness in his eyes before Lance quickly masked it, noticing Keith’s gaze on him. "Sorry," he quickly apologized, "that was selfish."

"It's not," Keith replied. "Not at all. And... I’m sure you'll get that. One day."

Lance smiled softly. "I hope," he spoke. He continued to watch Shay and Hunk, and Keith skated forward, shoving his shoulder into Lance's.

"Come on," he challenged. "Give me a few more minutes on these things, and I bet I'll be able to beat you in a race."

Lance chuckled, and rolled up next to Keith, giving him a competitive glance. "I'd like to see you try."

* * *

 

Keith was actually having a lot of fun. He didn’t manage to beat Lance in any of their races, of course, and they were eventually forced to stop speeding around the rink by a disgruntled worker, but Keith was getting better.

For once, though, he didn’t care much for the competition. It was still thrilling, yes, and Keith loved racing, and found the challenge of doing so in skates to be enjoyable, but it was really Lance’s shrill laughs and childish taunts that Keith sought. He chased after the energy in Lance’s blue eyes- and his smile, which always seemed to be set as a cool, flirty smirk.

Everything about Lance was the complete opposite of Keith. It irked him, got under his skin, but it wasn’t bad.

It drew strong emotions from him- something that only speeding on his bike seemed to be able to do. He’d never found that in a _person,_ before.

And he liked it. A lot.

Lance came to a sharp halt by Keith, and swung an arm around his shoulders. He was suddenly overwhelmed with Lance’s dizzying aroma, and his arm seemed to burn through Keith’s leather jacket, straight to his skin. He tried not to give into his instincts to shrug it away. Or his more delayed need to lean into the touch.

“You hungry?” he asked, letting Keith roll them along as he continued to skate, trying not to show how thrown off he was by the other boy.

“I could eat,” he replied. Lance grinned.

“Cool. Lemme grab Hunk and Shay, and we can get something at the food bar they have here.”

Keith nodded, and watched as Lance skated away to find his roommate. His eyes watched as those long, slender legs moved him elegantly across the rink, to the other side where Hunk was, and internally scolded himself for staring. Keith looked away, and felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, a welcome distraction. So he pulled it out to find two messages from Shiro.

**7:03 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**So I’m at Matt’s place, and Pidge is here… care to explain why they’re upset?**

**8:00 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**I’ve been told it’s something about a boy. Or, more specifically, your “emotional constipation”.**

Keith swallowed hard, looked up at Lance, then back down at his phone.

He turned it off, and stuffed it back in his pocket.

* * *

 

“So… hamburger, or hotdog?”

“Lance, you know the rule: no buying any meat under three dollars,” Hunk reprimanded.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t _look_ bad.”

“Two words: the sub.”

Lance winced, and Keith raised an eyebrow. “The sub?” he questioned.

Shay looked intrigued, as well. “I’d also like to know more about ‘the sub’.”

“Well,” Hunk began, and Lance groaned in protest, “once, freshman year, Lance saw this food truck off campus--”

“Okay, it wasn’t my fault! It was a well known food truck, and I trusted that meat with my life.”

Hunk gave a grim look. “He had food poisoning for a week.”

Lance nodded. “I actually had to go to the hospital.”

Keith gave Lance an incredulous stare. “So… you’re telling me, even after nearly dying from a sandwich, you were just now considering getting one dollar roller rink meat?”

Lance shrugged, giving a proud, shameless smile. “What can I say? I’m adventurous.”

“More like he doesn’t learn from his mistakes,” Hunk corrected. “Lance, you’re getting the pizza.”

Lance sighed melodramatically, leaning against his friend. Hunk barely budged from Lance’s weight, and just looked mildly inconvenienced as lanky limbs tangled around him, hands grasping his face, then shoulders. Lance swayed back and forth, trying to annoy his friend into letting him do what he wanted.

“But _Huuuuuunnnnnnkkkkkkk--”_

“No buts.”

Lance sighed, detaching himself with a mild pout. “Fine. You’re paying.”

“If it prevents me from once again having to deal with Food-Poison-Lance, then sure thing, buddy.”

Hunk ended up paying for all of them, even though Keith politely declined numerous times. They all got pizzas and sodas, and sat down at the counter of the food bar. Keith was sat between Lance and Hunk, and thus ended up being (quite literally) in the middle of all their conversations.

After they ate their food, they all sat for a while and talked. Keith got to know more about Shay- she was a philosophy major, and in the same year as them, though she was one month older than Hunk, a fact she gloated about (Hunk’s birthday was in January, Shay’s in December). That lead to a conversation about birthdays, and Keith revealed, after Lance’s pestering, he was born in late October. Lance told him he was born in late July, the youngest of them all. Hunk suggested they all go bar hopping without Lance, when they all had their birthdays and turned twenty-one, and Lance whined and protested.

“Aw, don’t worry, Lance,” Keith spoke in mock sympathy, “you can always be designated driver.”

Lance crossed his arms, glaring at Keith. “I hate having a late birthday.”

Hunk laughed. “We’ll sneak you drinks, buddy.”

Their conversation carried on, after that, and before Keith knew it, he’d agreed for both himself and Pidge to a Star Wars marathon sometime soon. He smiled as Hunk and Lance went into a debate over the films, and looked back and forth as each of them spoke, one after the other.

Then, out of nowhere, Hunk and Lance both looked at one thing in the room, then at each other with a familiar chagrin in their eyes. They both smiled, and Keith and Shay were left to wonder what was going through the roommates’ minds.

“Dude,” Hunk said, and he leaned towards Keith to get closer to his friend, making eye contact with Lance. “We should--”

Lance had a couple dollar bills pulled out, and he was jumping off his bar stool, grabbing Keith by the forearm and yanking him along. “I’m _way_ ahead of you.”

Before Keith could even ask, Hunk and Lance led them all to a photo booth in a dark corner of the roller rink. It was lit up by neon signs, and not too big, but Hunk dove in with Shay, and Lance squeezed in, too, beckoning Keith inside.

Keith raised an eyebrow. “A photo booth?” he asked.

Lance grinned. “Hunk and I get our photos taken in one every year!” he explained, and when Keith didn’t budge, Lance leaned over, grabbing the end to his jacket sleeve, and giving him a pleading look. “C’mon. Please? It’ll be fun!”

Keith sighed before relenting, and letting Lance pull him the rest of the way in. He was mostly on Lance’s lap, and tried to get some space between them, but it was impossible with the small amount of room.

Lance stuck money into the slot, and he and Hunk busied themselves with choosing filters and borders. Then the camera rolled, and the countdown began.

“Okay!” Lance demanded, “Silly faces for the first one!”

They all made faces, and the camera went off.

“Serious ones for the second,” Hunk spoke when the second countdown began.

Keith glanced at the others, who were glaring at the camera, and he resisted the urge to laugh as he joined them. The camera snapped.

“Double chin for the third!” Lance spoke.

They all did it, Lance making ridiculous noises with his.

“And smiles for the last,” Hunk finished.

Everyone smiled for the camera, and Lance put his arms around everyone, pulling them near. Keith looked at Lance--

Then the countdown ended, and they got their pictures taken.

Shit.

Fuck, no.

It didn’t catch that, did it?

“Let’s look at them!” Lance exclaimed.

Shay poked her head outside the curtain of the photo booth, and grabbed the four copies of their photos. She smiled at them.

“These are so sweet!” she gushed, and everyone looked over her shoulder at the photos. Keith hesitated before peeking at them, too.

The photos _were_ nice.

All except the last one.

“Aw!” Shay exclaimed, the first to speak. Keith felt himself tense up. “Lance and Keith! You two look very cute in this last photo.”

They were all smiling in the picture, Lance’s arm around Keith’s shoulder, tugging him near, and Keith was looking at Lance, a smile on his own face.

Fuck.

If his face grew any hotter, he’d combust.

“Uh, we’re not,” Keith tried to explain, “he just… I got distracted--”

“We’re not… dating,” Lance explained to Shay with a kind smile.

She blinked, then looked embarrassed. Not as much as Keith was, though. She gave him, specifically, an apologetic look.

“Oh. My mistake, I just thought maybe... I’m sorry.”

Hunk tried to save the day, and he pulled a couple of bills out of his pocket.

“Let’s take some more photos,” he offered.

Keith, however, didn’t think he could be in this tiny booth with Lance any longer.

“I’m gonna back out of this one,” Keith politely declined, giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile and climbing out before they could protest.

Lance followed him shortly after.

“You two should take more photos together,” Lance insisted, then let the curtain fall closed, and followed Keith where he went to lean against a wall. He stood next to him, and handed him one of the photo copies. Keith took it, and put it in his pocket without giving it another look.

“I think we look cute,” Lance insisted, and he laughed when Keith gave him a glare. “Lighten up, man. I like the pictures a lot.”

Keith shrugged. “I got distracted. You pulled at me- it was just reflex.”

 _“Keith,”_ Lance spoke, and he leaned against Keith’s shoulder, “relax! It’s not a big deal.”

Keith didn’t know how to respond, but he didn’t have to. Lance took hold of the conversation.

He jutted his chin towards the booth. “How much do you wanna bet they’re taking the cutest photos of 2016?”

Keith snorted. “I’m not gonna bet against that.”

“Neither am I,” Lance spoke, and he smiled, but his eyes looked sad.

Keith felt a twist in his gut. When Hunk and Shay stepped out of the booth and grabbed their photos, they laughed at the pictures, then looked at one another fondly. Then Hunk looked up at Lance with a smile on his face, but it dropped and he instantly looked concerned for his friend. He looked at Keith, then, and suddenly Keith felt like he was having a telepathic conversation with Lance’s roommate- like he knew exactly what to do in that moment. 

He nodded slightly, and turned to look at Lance, who was gazing at the floor. He elbowed him to gain his attention, and Lance looked startled as his eyes fell upon Keith.

Keith gestured for Lance to follow, and walked to the booth. Hunk and Shay walked away and Keith climbed in, holding open the curtain for Lance.

Lance blinked, eyes shocked.

“Come on,” Keith insisted, and then he smiled. “I bet we can take cuter photos than them.”

Lance beamed, then climbed in. The heavy red curtain fell closed behind him, and Keith was suddenly all alone with Lance in the small space. He pulled out his wallet, and grabbed a couple of bills.

They selected two copies to be made, and Keith let Lance choose the border art. Then, as the countdown for the first photo began, Lance spoke.

“Back to back like we’re secret agents!” he exclaimed, and Keith went along, pressing his back to Lance’s and posing.

 _Snap_ , and then the next countdown began.

Lance looked to Keith, expecting him to come up with the next one.

“Uh, one of those haunted house memes? The secret cameras that take photos of people screaming?”

At that, Lance quickly grabbed hold of Keith, and made a face like he was scared shitless of something. Keith mimicked him.

The photo captured, and Lance spoke.

“I _knew_ you were meme trash! I just knew it, deep down inside!”

And before Keith could protest, Lance spoke.

“Smile for this one!”

So Keith did, and Lance’s arm went around his shoulders once again. Except, this time, Keith wasn’t as taken aback at it. In fact, he leaned into the touch, and so did Lance, until their cheeks were practically squished together.

With the last photo, Lance tugged at both of Keith’s ears while Keith pinched Lance’s nose, and they both made silly faces.

They were laughing hysterically by the end of it, and when they reached outside the booth and took their photos, their laughs were renewed, until they were doubled over in the booth, tears in their eyes.

When they calmed their laughter to exhausted, breathless giggles, both clenching at their stomachs as wide smiles stretched their lips, Lance spoke.

“Oh my god. These are great,” he chuckled, wiping at his eyes. Keith leaned in to look at them.

In the first one, they were back to back, and Keith had his hands clasped together to form a gun, which he pressed dramatically against his chest as he glared at the camera. Lance had his hands pressed together, too, but he aimed it at the camera, and held his “gun” level to his eye, like a sniper.

The second one showed Lance with his arms wrapped around Keith, tugging at his clothes, and his face looked absolutely _scandalized,_ rather than horrified. Keith snorted at it. His own face made Lance burst into laughter, again- his teeth were bared and clenched, and his eyebrows were scrunched together, making him look like more uncomfortable than anything.

“That is _not_ a scared face,” Lance admonished. Keith shoved him playfully.

“Neither is yours.”

The smiling one was… cute. Keith couldn’t help but feel like they looked like a couple in it. Lance’s arm hung loosely around Keith’s shoulders, their cheeks were pressed together, and they were both flushed, with big squinty-eyed smiles on their faces. Lance had a peace sign thrown up.

Neither commented on that photo.

The last one was the funniest, and Lance rubbed his nose in protest as Keith laughed.

“You pinched it hard!” he admonished.

“Yeah, well, you practically ripped my ears off my head.”

Lance laughed at that, and smiled at the photos. “These are awesome,” he spoke, and he looked up at Keith. His smile grew softer. “Thanks for this.”

Keith smiled back. “No problem.”

Lance handed him a copy of the pictures, and Keith looked at it once more before pocketing it.

He followed Lance out the booth.

* * *

 

Lance and Keith took their turn in the backseat of the car on the way back to campus. They talked a bit on the drive, mostly about the test coming up in art class. The conversation strayed to social media, however, and before Keith knew what was happening, he and Lance had exchanged phones, and added each other on Snapchat.

“I hardly use it,” Keith warned, but Lance looked at him with a competitive glint in his eyes.

“I _will_ start a snap streak with you. We will get to a one-hundred day streak”

Keith snorted. “Good luck. Pidge has been trying for ages.”

“I believe in my capabilities,” Lance insisted.

Then, after a lot of insistence from Lance, they followed each other on Instagram, after Keith had Lance promise not to make any comments about his account.

“Oh my god,” Lance exclaimed.

Keith gave him an exasperated look. “You promised you wouldn’t say anything.”

 _“Keith._ All you have is pictures of your bike, and of… forests? Mountains?”

“I go hiking a lot with Shiro, when we're home,” Keith shrugged.

“There aren’t _any_ selfies in here!”

“I don’t really take any.”

Lance gasped. “That, my friend, has got to change.”

Keith gave a smile. “Unlikely to.”

“You can easily take selfies with any of these mountain views behind you!”

Keith squinted. “What’s the _point_ of that? Then nobody will be able to see the scenery.”

“Duh. It’ll be a picture of _you._ That’s the true scenery.”

Keith laughed, and shook his head. “No thanks. I don’t post much, anyways.”

Lance handed Keith his phone back. “For someone who keeps up with memes, you’re not very in touch with social media.”

Keith took it and shrugged, handing Lance's back to him. “I guess I’m more of a lurker.”

“You can’t ever experience anything from just watching on the sidelines, Keith,” Lance chastised.

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Are we talking about Instagram or life lessons, right now?”

“Neither. Snapchat. Start a streak with me.”

“Never.”

The rest of the drive consisted of Lance trying to change Keith’s mind, and then Hunk and Shay adding themselves to Keith’s friend list on Snapchat, then adding their numbers onto his phone.

It was overwhelming. But… nice.

Really nice.

Then Keith realized, once they pulled into the parking lot, that he really didn’t want the night to be over.

Hunk walked Shay to her room, so Lance and Keith were left to walk alone. Lance walked Keith to his door, passing by his own in his ridiculous attempt to be cheesy. But Keith found he didn’t mind- he enjoyed spending a little bit more time with Lance.

“When I get Hunk’s photos with Shay, I’m snapping you a picture of them.”

Keith laughed. “Do that,” he replied.

“And I expect a snap in return,” Lance added. Keith smiled.

“Nice try.”

“No corny Hunk and Shay photos, then.”

“I know you won’t be able to resist sending them.”

“Ugh. Keith.”

Keith gave Lance a serious look. “You won’t break me, McClain.”

Lance laughed at that, and Keith noticed how he lingered- how Lance, too, seemed like he didn’t want to leave, just yet.

_Invite him in. Ask him to hang out some more. It’s only ten._

But Keith didn’t do that. He didn’t even try- just watched Lance as the taller boy’s grin softened as his laugh died down.

“Thanks for coming along, tonight. I’m really glad you were there,” he spoke, and Keith smiled, ignoring how his heart pathetically jumped at the statement.

“Me, too,” he replied, and then he caught something in Lance’s eyes- something that made him want to--

“Well,” Keith quickly spoke, and he turned to punch in his key code. The door unlocked with a click, and he pulled it open, slightly. “Goodnight, then.”

“Yeah,” Lance replied, and Keith gave him one more smile. “See you, Monday. I’ll come to your door? So we can walk together?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Lance brightened. “Cool. Goodnight.”

And he walked away, not without turning back to give Keith one last wave goodbye. Keith shyly returned it.

When he stepped through the door and shut it behind him, his room was dark, and he was alone. No Pidge, no Shiro or Allura, no Matt, no Lance, no Hunk, no Shay.

Nobody.

Keith was all by himself.

And he couldn’t help but think how, just a week ago, he would have preferred that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> talk to me about space gays [on my tumblr](spacegaykogane.tumblr.com)
> 
> Karovie's links:  
> [tumblr](karoviesart.tumblr.com)
> 
>  
> 
> [AO3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/karovie/pseuds/karovie)
> 
>  
> 
> go reblog the art from this fic [here](http://karoviesart.tumblr.com/post/157374787956/for-dearest-spacegaykogane-3-illustration-for) !


	6. On Fireworks; Both Literal, Figurative, and Everything in Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ya boy keith is catchin feelings  
> Lance is oblivious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rises from the dead after 8 months*  
> h-hewwo? 
> 
> asdfg i'm so sorry you guys. I swear I never meant to abandon this fic. I can actually promise that, since March, I worked on this chapter at least once a week.  
> Update on my life (and some poor excuses for not posting yet) :: I graduated from uni back in May, am currently working full time as a teacher assistant, and am filled with existential dread :)  
> basically, life caught up to me and kept me in its asshole. but im back, and i swear on my grave the next chapter will not take as long to post. this fic is just super personal to me, and it gets a bit hard to write at times. but the most difficult part (for now) has been written, and it should be smooth sailing for a while.
> 
> thanks so much for sticking with this, and for leaving reviews in the months I've been gone. like holy hell. that means so much to me.  
> thank you thank you thank you <3  
> i hope you all enjoy this MONSTER of a chapter. 30k words. holy hell.

“Buddy, listen, if you keep looking at us like that I’m going to tell Shay about the Ikea incident.”

Lance raised a brow, giving Hunk a questioning look. He lifted his head from his palm just slightly.

“Which one?”

Hunk gave Lance a wicked smile. “The vase.”

Lance just cooed adoringly from his position leaned forward on a table in the dining hall. He proceeded to place his cheek back onto his palm, and gave his roommate  _ and his new girlfriend  _ a mushy grin. 

“But how can I help it when you two are  _ so cute?” _

Hunk turned to face Shay, who had been giving Lance a sweet, though abashed, smile. Hunk's lips stretched into wide grin before saying, “One time Lance took this girl on a date--”

“Fine, fine!” Lance relented, diverting his attention to his plate, where his scrambled eggs sat mostly untouched, paired with bacon. He poked at it with a fork, eyes flitting up to meet his roommate’s, and Lance was still grinning. He couldn’t help it, but at Hunk’s look, he tried to smother his adoring smile. “I’ll stop.”

Hunk had revealed what had gone on during the rollerskating date last night. While Lance had been preoccupied with Keith at the rink, Hunk and Shay had been dancing shyly around one another, hinting towards their feelings, but not quite saying them aloud. They did gentle, cute things- held hands, shot each other shy glances and soft smiles.

But nobody was making a move.

It was in the photo booth, while they were alone, that Shay had kissed Hunk on the cheek for the first photo.

The second showed Hunk looking at Shay in shock as she smiled.

The third and fourth, well.

Hunk and Shay would have their first kiss photographed and adorably sappy for all their children and grandchildren, and their grandchildren’s children, and all who came later to either be completely repulsed or gushy over for the rest of eternity.

It was so sappy. And sweet, and amazing, and romantic.

It was everything Lance wanted.

But he was glad that Hunk had found happiness. He deserved it more than anybody Lance knew. He was ecstatic for his roommate.

And if a small, nagging part of him was jealous, Lance repressed the feeling.

It was at the end of breakfast, when Lance was walking back to the dorms with Hunk and Shay, that his phone vibrated with a message.

He pulled it out of his pocket, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Rolo’s name light the screen. He smiled wide, barely containing his joy as he stopped walking to read the text. His heart pounded with excitement.

**9:53 A.M., Rolo Durand:**

**You on campus, today?**

Lance quickly typed a reply.

**9:53 A.M., Lance McClain:**

**yup!! what’s up?**

Lance bounced impatiently on the balls of his feet as he waited. Rolo’s response came quickly.

**9:54 A.M., Rolo Durand:**

**There’s an art festival in the park downtown. I thought you’d maybe wanna go?**

Lance blinked, waiting for a second message, for the clarification that it’d just be them. It didn’t come, though. His mouth felt dry, and his heart beat even faster.

“Lance?” Hunk inquired. Lance looked up, caught Hunk and Shay watching him curiously, and gave them a big smile before waving them on. 

“Go ahead. I’ll see you guys at the dorm.”

Hunk raised an eyebrow, and gave Lance a look- a silent “tell me later”. Lance responded with a nod and bright grin. 

Once Hunk and Shay walked off, Lance walked off the path towards some benches nearby. He meant to sit, really, but found he couldn’t stop pacing near them.

He took a deep breath before he replied.

**9:56 A.M., Lance McClain:**

**with you?**

His heart pounded a rapid staccato in his chest, rattling his ribs, now, and he wondered if maybe he was being too bold with the statement. He wanted to get with Rolo, yeah, but Lance still had some dignity, and he didn’t want to come off as desperate.

It seemed his dignity was long gone when his phone buzzed and he read the message, his face going red and heart doing dozens of flips, bashing against his sternum. Lance actually had to press his palm to his chest in an attempt to calm his heart.

**9:56 A.M., Rolo Durand:**

**Yes, with me :)**

Lance sat down on the closest bench, his legs feeling much like jelly. He only realized now that he had been smiling ridiculously at his phone. His cheeks hurt.

But… he had to make sure.

**9:57 A.M., Lance McClain:**

**just us?**

He hesitated before pressing send. He tapped his feet anxiously as he waited.

**9:59 A.M., Rolo Durand:**

**Just us. I’m driving. I’ll be outside your dorm at 5**

Unable to help it, Lance let out an excited noise that was something between a giggle and a screech. He didn’t even bother to entertain the eyes that drew to him and his outburst, jumping up on his feet and beelining his way back to his dorm.

He had a date to get ready for.

* * *

 

“How do I look?” Lance asked, giving an extravagant twirl just for an extra flair of dramatics.

“Good. Just as good as the last five outfits looked,” Hunk replied in a drawl, exhausted. Shay was sat next to him on his bed, and her eyes sparkled. Her hands were clasped together and she let out a little noise that was something between a gasp and a pleased hum. Her hands settled over her heart, skin tan against the bright yellow blouse she wore. The collar was embroidered with tiny white flowers. Lance had a feeling she wore the color so often because it was Hunk’s favorite. Or maybe the pair really were just perfect for each other.

“I like this one best!” she exclaimed. “That sea green color looks lovely with your complexion! It really brings out your eyes. And those shorts fit you nicely.”

Lance beamed, and turned to look at the mirror. It was a button up shirt he bought over the summer, with tiny white patterns of seagulls flying on it. He looked at it paired with his last pair of clean shorts, a well-fitted blue that ended above the knee and was so dark it almost looked black. He normally went for brighter clothes- odd patterns and mismatched colors that just felt  _ right  _ for whatever mood he was in. His outfits had a mind of their own, and he never really paid much attention to what ended up on his body for the day. But today he felt the need to dress up- to wear his cleanest shorts and his least wrinkled shirt. “You think so?” he asked, self-consciously playing with the top button to the shirt.

“Definitely,” Shay spoke. “You look perfect, Lance.”

When Lance gave her a smile, he turned to look at Hunk, who didn’t seem nearly as impressed. He felt his heart drop slightly, and his smile fell as he turned to look back at his mirror, fixing his hair. Shay seemed to sense the awkward tension.

“I’m going to go prepare some snacks for our movie,” she spoke to Hunk, patting him on the leg before walking out of the room.

It was silent for a bit. Lance spoke first.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know what you’re thinking.”

Hunk crossed his arms. “You’re going to get hurt. Again.”

Lance bristled. Then he scoffed. “Yeah, sure. Because Rolo is using one of his  _ very few _ days off from work and school to take me to an art festival instead of hanging out with his girlfriend. Just for some evil plan you seem to think he’s concocting.”

“Yep.”

Lance glared. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I?” Hunk asked.

“Yes. I thought we’ve been over this, before? You said you’d let me make my call with Rolo. And if I want to go to this festival with him, then that’s my choice. We can’t do this every time I decide to go out with him, Hunk.”

“I’m just trying to look out for you,” Hunk spoke, and Lance knew he meant it. But he couldn’t have this conversation- not again.

“And  _ I _ just want to be happy, okay?” Lance spoke in an exasperated tone, turning to look at his roommate, and trying to plead with him through his gaze to just  _ drop it.  _ “That’s all I want.”

“I get that, buddy. Trust me, I do. But you need to know there are other ways to be happy. And that there are  _ other people  _ who care about getting you there.”

“Like who?” Lance exclaimed. “Please enlighten me. Who do I have, besides you?”

Hunk seemed as though he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. He opened his mouth, then shut it. His lips flattened into a line.

Lance put a hand on his hip. “Exactly. Life is not what everyone says- you can’t sit back and be patient and wait for good things. Happiness doesn’t just come to people, Hunk. You have to work for it,” Lance ranted, turning away from his friend and looking back in the mirror, “and that’s what I plan to do.”

The silence that followed was so thick Lance felt as though he was choking in it. Hunk finally responded.

“Fine. You do what you want. But I gave you my warnings, and you know how he is. So don’t expect me to put the pieces back together when he lets you down, again.”

Lance continued to stare at his own reflection, not sure he could look at Hunk’s face without breaking down. He smoothed his sweaty palm over the collar of his shirt, then down to his chest, where he pressed trembling fingers against his heart. He could feel it pounding, his face flushed and eyes prickling- and Hunk  _ knew _ Lance was  _ always  _ an angry crier, damnit, so why did he have to do this  _ now? _ Lance couldn’t go out with puffy eyes and a red nose.

So he took a deep breath, and walked over to his desk, grabbing his cell phone.

“See you later,” he murmured before walking out the door.

Lance tried to keep his mind clear as he made his way outside. He wouldn’t let Hunk’s words trouble him. He’d been really excited for this date, and nothing would ruin that.

_ Don’t expect me to put the pieces back together when he lets you down, again. _

That wouldn’t happen. Not this time. Lance was sure of it. He was following his heart- and it wouldn’t lead him down the wrong path. It couldn’t. He wouldn’t let it. He would get what he wanted.

Lance nodded to himself as he walked outside. It was a warm day- the perfect afternoon for an outdoor festival and date. Lance found himself smiling, excited for his evening. It would be good- he’d  _ make it  _ good.

Lance quickly surveyed the dorm parking lot. Rolo wasn’t here, yet. He checked his phone for the time- there was still ten minutes left. Lance was early. 

Feeling relieved, he relaxed and walked down the dorm’s steps where he waited underneath a tree. He looked around, and noticed someone leaned against their car, head bent, thumbs tapping at their phone. They looked oddly familiar….

It couldn’t be… could it?

Lance squinted, eyes focusing on the man’s face- or what he could see of it. 

As if sensing his gaze on him, the man looked up. They made eye contact, and held it.

Lance, embarrassed at having been caught, felt himself flush. But he quickly regained his composure when he realized his hunch had been correct.

Keith’s “not-brother”.

“Professor Shirogane?” he asked, and he hesitated before he made his way over to say hi. That was the polite thing to do, right?

Shiro looked startled, then abashed, tucking his phone away in his pocket. “Hey,” he greeted, then hesitated for a moment before he said, “Lance, right?”

Lance beamed, strangely delighted. His class with Shiro had been a lecture hall- there had to have been more than one hundred people in there. “Didn’t think you’d remember me,” he laughed nervously, and now he was standing in front of Shiro, who was dressed rather casually. It was strange to see Shiro without his usual formal wear. Instead, he had on a white t-shirt that clung magnificently to his well-muscled chest and arms, and a pair of black sweats. A bag of what looked like take-out food was perched on the hood of his car, right next to him.

Shiro gave Lance a kind smile. “Of course I do. Your end of term paper was excellent- I was very impressed.”

Lance blushed, hand flying to rub at the back of his neck as he felt it prickle with heat. “Thanks,” he murmured shyly, not sure what else to say. Despite his usual flair of confidence, Lance could admit he wasn’t used to being complimented. It always caught him off guard every time. “Uh, are you here to see Keith?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

Shiro blinked, shocked. He seemed to try and collect himself before he said, “You know Keith?”

Lance nodded, giving Shiro a big smile. “Yeah! We’re, uh…” he trailed off, smile faltering.

_ I’m tutoring Keith in return for him being my fake-boyfriend. _

Probably not the smartest thing to say to said fake-boyfriend's brotherly figure.

“... We’re friends. I think.”

Shiro snorted. “Sounds about right,” he spoke, and he sounded amused. Then he answered Lance’s question, “Yeah, I’m here to see him. Or trying to, at least. He’s not exactly answering his phone.”

Lance’s eyebrows drew together in concern. “Is everything alright?” he asked, then backtracked, knowing it probably wasn’t his place to ask. “I mean- he’s okay, right?”

Shiro shrugged. “I’m hoping. He’s normally reclusive, but I wouldn’t be worried about the phone part, since he never answers,” he spoke begrudgingly, and his fingers flew to his pocket where he’d put his own phone, as if itching to try and reach Keith, again.

Lance let out a contemplative hum. “That’s weird. He always replies fast to me.”

Shiro straightened up, shocked. “Really?”

Lance nodded, “Yeah! It takes him, like, five minutes at most.”

It was silent for a moment as Shiro seemed to blank. Then he spoke.

“Kogane.”

Lance blinked. “What?” 

“Keith Kogane. About this high,” he described, emphasizing Keith’s height with a hand, “rides a motorcycle. Face resembling a sort of,” and then Shiro imitated Keith’s glare perfectly, and Lance knew the two had to be siblings, because it was a talent only blood could perfect. Lance laughed and nodded as he tried to speak through his giggles.

“Yes, that Keith! Mullet-Keith.”

Shiro laughed at that, and Lance grinned. “Oh my god, I’ve never heard that before. It’s good, though. I need to use it. But I think it’s more of just overgrown rather than a mullet.”

Lance waved a dismissive hand. “It’s in the mullet-range.”

Shiro was still smiling, and he shook his head. “Well, Lance, you should consider yourself lucky. He never replies to anyone through text. At least not quickly.”

“Pfft, you’re exaggerating. What about Pidge?”

“Oh, you definitely shouldn’t let them know about this. They rant about his horrible texting delays all the time.”

Lance winced as he imagined the devious roommate’s possible reaction. “Thanks for giving me a heads up,” he spoke. He felt oddly flattered, though. Then he realized why Keith must reply fast, and disappointment washed over him. “But, y’know, he probably only replies because I’m his art tutor.”

Shiro, surprisingly, looked more shocked at that than anything else Lance had said. “Keith got a tutor?” he asked, as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

Lance tilted his head. “Uh, yeah? Is that so weird?”

Shiro shook his head, and gave Lance a smile. He huffed out a laugh. “No, I guess not. It seems everything to do with you and Keith is a bit off-kilter. I’m just happy he decided to ask for help,” he admitted. Then he met Lance’s eyes, and Lance was suddenly overcome with the most heartfelt words that had ever been spoken to him, “Thanks for doing that for him,” Shiro spoke, and then he smiled. “I know he can be a bit stubborn, and probably won’t say it, so… thanks, Lance.”

Lance, once again, found himself flushed from the praise. He gave a shrug, and a shy smile, his hand finding his neck once again. “Ah, well, I mean- I don’t mind. It’s no big deal.”

At that, Shiro laughed. “Oh, trust me, it’s a bigger deal than you realize,” he chuckled, and then he looked up to the dorm. His face took on an expression Lance couldn’t quite decipher. Then he looked at Lance, gave him a quick smile, and reached into his pocket to grab his phone. He checked it, but Lance didn’t even have to look to know that there was no reply waiting for him. “Well,” Shiro sighed, pocketing his phone again, and he gave Lance another smile, though this one seemed a bit tired. “I think I’m gonna call it a night. Could you let him know I stopped by? And maybe try to force him to answer his phone.”

Lance felt his heart drop- Shiro looked really disappointed. He bit his bottom lip, and bounced a bit on his heels as he grabbed his own phone from his pocket, checking the time. Five more minutes. Damn. 

But… Rolo could wait. This was important.

“You know,” Lance spoke, and he took his key card from his pocket, “I could let you into the building?”

Shiro hesitated, and gave Lance a polite smile. “I don’t think you’re allowed to do that.”

Lance waved a hand. “Sure I am! You’ll just be a guest under me until I get you to Keith. And if he’s not there, I’ll walk you out. No biggie.”

Shiro seemed to frown thoughtfully, and he glanced at the building one more time before nodding. He picked up the takeout bag. “Alright. Sure. Thanks, Lance.”

“Don’t thank me until I get the hermit out of his cave,” Lance replied as he lead them inside.

Lance could hear Shiro laugh behind him. He caught up to Lance, walking to his left.

“So how are your classes?” he asked, seeming genuinely interested.

Lance smiled. “Doing pretty well. I’m being barrelled with prerequisites right now, but I should be done with them after next semester.”

Shiro hummed. “What year are you?”

“Junior.”

“Ah, same as Keith. Remind me of your major, again?”

“I, uh, have two. Art education and astrophysics.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “That’s--”

“I know, yeah. I just couldn’t choose, and halfway through my astrophysics major I realized how much I miss art. I used to be in this honors program in high school, and it made me really happy, y’know? But stressed, too, and I got overwhelmed,” Lance explained as he opened the door to the stairwell, and they made their way up, “so it was kind of impulsive, and now I’ve got more courses to complete, but I did some online classes over the summer and I’m gonna do the same again this summer and hopefully graduate the same time as everyone else--”

“Lance,” Shiro interrupted, and he was smiling. “I was going to say that’s amazing.”

Lance blinked, then blushed, letting out an awkward laugh as he instinctively ran a sweaty palm down his chest. “Oh.”

Shiro was smiling warmly. “What are you planning on doing with those majors? If it’s alright for me to ask.”

Lance smiled. “Well, I’d love to be an art teacher. I’d also like to work at a planetarium as the director. But any research work I can do in astrophysics would be awesome- I just… I like keeping busy.”

Shiro put a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “You’re going to do great. And if you ever need a recommendation letter, feel free to let me know.”

Lance beamed. “Thanks. Will the offer still stand if I can’t get you to Keith?”

Shiro laughed. “Of course.”

Lance chuckled as they reached the second floor. He opened the door to the hallway. “Just making sure.”

As they walked, Lance spoke up, again.

“Maybe I should be the one to knock?” he suggested. Shiro nodded.

“Good idea.”

When they reached Keith’s dorm, Lance urged Shiro to wait off to the side where Keith wouldn’t see him, then proceeded to step in front of the door. He unconsciously fixed his shirt, smoothing down the collar.

He knocked.

* * *

 

Keith spent Sunday alone.

He wanted to text Pidge- to say sorry and clear the air. But he couldn’t get himself to send a message. It just didn’t feel like the right thing to do. He wanted to see them in person and talk this out. But they didn’t come back.

So he did… nothing. 

He stayed by himself at his dorm, leaving only to go work out his frustrations at the gym. He ignored texts from Shiro, the first offering that he take him out for lunch and a walk. Then one offering dinner. Then one asking just for a walk. Then one asking if he could stop by and sit there and literally say and do nothing (unlikely). But Keith didn’t acknowledge any of his brother’s compromises. He already knew what Shiro wanted to say, and he didn’t want to hear any of it.

The day seemed to drag on forever. When it felt like it should have been over, Keith realized it was hardly even five o’clock. He’d been working on homework for a good three hours, bent over his desk and unmoving. He reached his arms up and stretched, then leaned back over his chair, letting out a relieved sigh when he felt a few satisfying pops.

Keith sat like that for a while, leaned back and looking at the ceiling in his dimly lit room. The only light source was from his desk lamp, and from the window. The blinds were upturned, letting in some light that covered the ceiling in a warm afternoon glow. Keith could hear people in the neighboring dorms talking loudly, music playing from a distance, and people outside laughing and shouting and running around. He focused on all that as he tried to ground himself.

He didn’t know how long he sat there when there was a knock on his door. It tore him away from his reverie, making him jump in his seat, and he stared at the door in shock, wondering if he’d imagined it.

Then a voice sounded.

“Keith? You in there?”

Keith’s heart thumped illogically fast in his chest.

Lance.

He took off his glasses and placed them on the desk, then made his way to the door before he caught sight of himself in the mirror.

Damn. He looked like shit.

Keith adjusted his clothes slightly, then noticed multiple holes in his t-shirt. He surveyed his room and found a clean one on his bed, grabbing that and changing into it, instead. Then he looked back in the mirror and tried in vain to smooth down his hair in its messy ponytail. He pulled out the elastic and re-tied it, trying to get it looking as un-hermit-like as he could.

Another knock sounded, and Lance’s voice rang out through the door.

“Keith?”

Deciding there wasn’t much more he could do about his appearance, Keith went to the door and answered it. He was greeted with Lance’s shocked look that was instantly replaced with a smile.

“Hey!” he greeted, and Keith offered up a smile of his own. Lance peeked into his bedroom, eyes no doubt surveying how depressing it must have looked. “You doing okay?”

Keith blinked. “Uh. Yeah, I’m fine.”

Lance didn’t look like he believed him, blue eyes looking him up and down. They lingered on Keith’s hair, and Keith self consciously smoothed a hand along it before pulling it quickly away. Lance seemed like he wanted to ask something, but he stopped, glancing quickly to his left, then moving so he blocked the doorway some more.

“Hey, Keith. So you definitely consider us friends, right?”

Keith raised a brow, not expecting the shift in conversation. “Uh… yeah?”

“Like, for sure? No take backs?” Lance asked.

Keith gave him a look. “Yeah, I guess….”

Lance smiled brightly. “Great! Then you’ll forgive me for this.”

Before he could ask, or even think to, Lance moved off to the side and Shiro stepped into view, giving Keith a shit-eating grin.

“Mind if I come in?” he asked before letting himself in anyways, ruffling Keith’s hair as he did so.

Keith batted his hand away, then gave Lance a glare.

Lance raised his hands in defense. “Sorry! But he said you weren’t answering your phone, and--”

“Friendship withdrawn,” Keith murmured, though he found that his voice held no menace. He couldn’t really be mad- not when Lance was right here and bright, and smiling, and--

Lance laughed, and Keith hated the way his heart fluttered at the sound. “So I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Shiro had flicked on the lights in the room, and he called out to Lance, now.

“You can join us if you want?”

Lance smiled, and politely declined. “Maybe another time? I have a uh…  _ thing _ I have to get to,” he said, giving Keith a pointed look.

Keith’s heart sunk, but he schooled his face into a neutral expression. “Rolo?” he inquired.

Lance beamed at that, and nodded excitedly. “Yeah! He’s taking me to an art festival. He’s gonna be here any second, so…” and he looked over at Shiro, then back to Keith, “have fun, you guys!”

Keith didn’t respond, so Shiro did. “Thanks again, Lance. See you soon.”

Lance smiled and nodded before giving a wave and walking off.

Keith turned to face Shiro, and closed the door behind him. Shiro gave him an amused smile.

“Good to see you’re making friends.”

Keith crossed his arms.

“I don’t want to talk, Shiro.”

Shiro shrugged, and placed a bag on Pidge’s desk, since Keith’s was covered in books and loose papers. “That’s fine. I brought food, since you probably haven’t eaten.”

Keith sighed. “I’m not hungry.”

Shiro lifted an eyebrow. “Then humor me, will you?”

Uncrossing his arms, Keith made his way over to Shiro and helped him put the food onto plates. Halfway into this, Shiro spoke up.

“So… you opened the door for him.”

Keith groaned. 

This was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

 

Rolo ended up being ten minutes late. Lance didn’t mind too much, because when he got into the car Rolo gave him a big smile.

“You look nice,” he complimented, and Lance’s heart fluttered. 

“Thanks,” he replied, giving Rolo a shy smile in return. They drove off, and Lance spoke up, “Where did you hear about the festival?”

“Overheard someone at work.”

Lance hummed. “So… why aren’t you taking Nyma?”

Rolo gave a shrug, hand resting on the top of his steering wheel. The car smelled like him- sweet and enticing. Lance could brush their arms together on the center console if he moved just slightly. Before he could, Rolo did it first, and the press of the exposed skin of his bicep was hot against Lance’s own.

“It’s not really her scene. More of your thing,” Rolo explained. “Besides, I wanted to go with you,” and he said this with a smile in Lance’s direction.

Lance looked away, a grin overtaking his features. “Well… thanks. I’m really excited about this.”

Rolo glanced at him, and his eyes looked warm. “Me too.”

* * *

 

The festival was held at the city’s park- an enormous stretch of grassy hills and fields with a lake that encompassed the east side of it. There were dozens of tents pitched up with various activities, food trucks from some of the city’s best restaurants, and a stage off by the lake where various dancers were performing throughout the evening. 

There were tons of people selling their different beautifully crafted merchandise: woodwork, poetry chaplets, colorful blown glass, paintings, jewelry, clothes, rugs. Lance, however, was relying on what little money he had leftover from his summer nannying jobs. So he used all his willpower to resist these stands. 

About an hour in, after walking around the park and checking out all there was to see, Lance convinced Rolo to get his face painted with him. It took a lot of pushing, but Rolo eventually agreed, and Lance asked the face painters to surprise them. 

Lance ended up with a swirling blue pattern on the right side of his face with all sorts of shades of blue, and some glitter. It resembled an angry tide- waving and a torrent of motion, but the colors made it look so calm. It was beautiful, and the artist gushed about Lance’s eyes, saying she used them as inspiration. 

Beaming with the praise, Lance turned to look at Rolo--

He burst out laughing at what he saw.

Rolo’s face was painted to look like a butterfly- with pinks and purples, and some glitter paint, as well.

Rolo raised an eyebrow, giving Lance a look. His painter looked especially proud of herself. “What? What is it?” 

Lance went over to Rolo, and said, “Before you complain or try to wipe it off, I need one selfie.”

Rolo begrudgingly allowed Lance to take a picture of the two of them on Snapchat, and the look of shock on his face that Lance captured in the photo was priceless. He saved it before sending it to a few of his friends, and to Sofia.

They walked to the food trucks after, and as they waited in line Rolo, being an inch or two taller than Lance, rested his arm on Lance’s shoulder. He was warm, and he smelled like a bakery- vanilla and cinnamon… his arm felt so right on Lance’s shoulder- melded so perfectly into the dip of his neck.

Lance tried not to move, afraid he’d lose Rolo’s touch.

He glanced at Rolo’s face, catching sight of some glitter that still remained after he had wiped off the paint- a smear of pink along his curved jaw, dotted with stubble. Lance wanted to run his finger over the smudge, wipe it off, then continue down his long neck… to his collarbone, which was peeking from beneath the soft purple fabric of his shirt.

Lance swallowed, throat dry, and let his eyes brush up to scope Rolo’s profile once more before he looked away, biting his lip.

Rolo bought them food, despite Lance’s protests. They sat on the lush green grass by the lake as they ate.

“So,” Rolo spoke, “how’s Keith?”

Lance played with the paper that held together his wrap, tearing it. He shrugged. “He’s fine. Saw him just before you picked me up.”

Well, that wasn’t exactly a lie.

“That’s good…” Rolo murmured. He didn’t meet Lance’s eyes as he said this, his voice soft. Then he took a bite of his own food, and chewed for a bit before changing the topic of conversation. “So, you thinking of working at the museum during the school year, again?”

Lance shrugged. “I’m gonna have to, since I’m super broke. But I’m putting it off as long as I can. I told them I couldn’t work until next week,” Lance admitted with a nervous chuckle. “I just wanna trick myself into believing it’s still summer break for a little longer.”

Rolo nodded, and he laughed. “Yeah, I get that.”

“I might stop by this week, though,” Lance replied. “See Plax and Flo, and all of them. Maybe I could go on Friday… I could take Keith to see the exhibits.”

Rolo tensed, then raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you already take him?”

Lance’s heart skipped, and he panicked. “Oh, uh, I mean- I tutor him in art on Fridays. I was thinking… we could… go there… immerse ourselves in the subject, y’know?”

Rolo hummed. “Yeah… you should do that. When you start working there again, let me know. Nyma and I can visit you when we go to see that temporary exhibit that’s up right now.”

Lance smiled softly. “Will do.”

It was quiet for a while. Lance watched as ducks and geese swam through the lake, close to the shore. A few wandered nearby them on the grass. Rolo fed them tiny bits of tortilla from his wrap. The bustle of voices and music playing from a distance filled in the absence of conversation, and Lance stretched his legs out in front of him, enjoying the feeling of the warm sun on them. He leaned back on his hands, content with the amicable silence.

After a few minutes, he spoke up.

“Uh… so how’s Nyma, then? You two doing okay?”

Rolo shrugged, not looking at Lance. He fed the ducks the last of his tortilla. “So far, yeah.”

Lance’s eyebrows knit in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rolo gave a low chuckle, and shrugged, wiping his hands on his pants before leaning back onto his own hands, mimicking Lance. “I don’t know… I don’t really stick with one person very long. I mean- it’s nice, right now. I’m happy. But… anything can happen. We might break up tonight, tomorrow, weeks from now. Who knows, y’know?”

Lance frowned, and he sat up straight, crossing his legs. Rolo stiffened, watching Lance- his eyes following him before meeting his gaze. Lance felt warm under his watchful eye, and tried not to let himself hope too much.

“You guys aren’t going to break up,” Lance spoke, his voice small, and he wanted to smack himself. He looked at the grass by his feet, pulling at the blades. The satisfying rip calmed him. “At least… not anytime soon. You’re really good together.”

Rolo hummed, and gave a shrug. “I’m good with a lot of people.  _ We  _ were really good, weren’t we?”

Lance felt his face heat. He looked up at Rolo, caught his eyes, then looked down at his lips before looking away. “Yeah,” he replied, and his voice was smaller, now.

_ We  _ were  _ good together.  _

But not good enough, right? At least Lance wasn’t. He never was.

“But that was different,” Lance spoke, trying to laugh, but even he could hear how shallow it was. “We weren’t serious, remember? You told me you don’t commit,” Lance rambled, and he tried to keep the sting of the memory out of his voice.

Rolo shrugged again. He didn’t seem to want to meet Lance’s gaze. “You gotta admit we had some great chemistry, though.”

Lance swallowed back the lump in his throat. “True,” he laughed shakily. Rolo didn’t notice the slight tremor.

Rolo looked at Lance, and he held his eyes. “I wasn’t lying, before. About what I said… I really do like you, Lance. You’re… I like being around you.”

“I like hanging with you, too,” Lance replied.

“No, really. I want us to hang out more. I... missed this. It being just us,” Rolo continued, and he sounded like he really, truly meant it.

Lance’s gut twisted in his stomach. He felt trapped by Rolo’s gaze- his eyes lost within the clear blue. He glanced at Rolo’s lips, then away, looking down at the grass beneath him. He started plucking it again with shaking fingers, now.

God, he felt so pent up.

“Does Nyma know about us? That we used to…?” 

Date? Fuck around? What even was it, really? What was Lance doing this for?

“No,” Rolo answered, as if it was an absurd question. “No- she doesn’t need to know.”

“Why not?” Lance insisted, looking up at Rolo, again. “Because we weren’t serious enough for you to mention it?”

_ “No _ \- geez, no. I just like you and want to be able to hang out with you without making things awkward. It’s not like we’re still seeing each other, so there’s no point in telling her and making her worry over nothing.”

Lance took that hit hard- it felt like someone had plunged a hot knife into his stomach. His heart sank. He frowned as he looked down at the grass, glaring at it. His fingers ripped at the blades with a renewed vigor.

Rolo continued.

“I mean… it’s not a big deal, right? You didn’t tell Keith, did you?”

Lance’s throat closed up, as it did every time he had to mention his fake boyfriend and the whole fucking lie he’d constructed. He was so tired of lying- so tired of being worried he’d let something slip.

“Yeah, I told him,” Lance replied briskly. “We tell each other everything,” he added, just to try and get Rolo jealous. It didn’t work.

Instead, Rolo let out a laugh.

“Okay, that makes so much sense. That’s why he’s been giving me those death looks.”

Lance’s hand paused on the grass, and he looked up at Rolo before tilting his head to the side. “What’re you talking about?”

“Every time he sees me he just kinda… glares. Like he’s ready to fight me.”

Lance waved a dismissive hand. “Nah, that’s just his constant expression. He uses glasses, y’know. He’s probably blind all the time but is just too stubborn to wear them in public.”

Rolo shakes his head, though. “That’s not it. It’s totally on purpose. You seriously don’t notice?”

Lance blinked, and waited for Rolo to explain.

“He feels threatened by us, I think.”

Lance frowned. “Keith isn’t the jealous type.”

“Well, regardless. Let him know it’s not like that, anymore. You two are dating, and I’m not a threat or anything.”

The sun was setting, and the warm glow caught on Rolo’s hair, lighting it gold. Lance wanted to touch it- to run his fingers through it, but Rolo suddenly felt so far away- light years, maybe, even though their knees touched and their hands brushed.

How could he be so close and far all at the same time? 

What was the point in this? Did Rolo even still feel anything for Lance?

He did. He said he did- he said he cared. He wouldn’t have taken Lance out here if he didn’t care, right? He could’ve taken Nyma… and he even expressed his doubts about their relationship.

All Lance knew at that moment was that he wanted to be back at his dorm with his friends.

“We should head back,” Lance murmured, and Rolo gave him a questioning look.

“Okay. Sure.”

They got up and walked out of the park, and this time when Rolo’s arm brushed against Lance’s a new feeling accompanied it. The warmth was still there, but now his heart felt like it was being beaten to a pulp. 

He didn’t know what to do.

* * *

 

Keith put down his plate of food with a glare at his foster brother.

“Stop staring at me,” he bit out, and Shiro gave an innocent look.

“I’m not.”

“Yes you are. Whatever you wanna say, just say it.”

“What if it’s more than one thing?”

“Then I’ll ignore the rest.”

Shiro made a noise of surprise. “Does that mean you’ll actually listen to the first one?”

Keith gave him a glare. Shiro continued.

“Well, Pidge more or less told Matt what happened. So, naturally, I got the general gist of it.”

Keith crossed his arms and sighed. “What did they say?”

“That you were, and I’m quoting Pidge here, ‘emotionally constipated over some boy’.”

Keith frowned and looked away. Shiro spoke up.

“I’m not going to pry--”

“You already are.”

“I just want you to know,” Shiro continued, giving Keith a reprimanding look, “that I have your back. And… if you need to talk about it….”

“I know,” Keith insisted.

Shiro gave him a leveled gaze. “I’m only a phone call away, Keith. It’s not like it’s ever any trouble… you’d probably be doing  _ me  _ a favor by inviting me over every now and then. It’d make me worry less.”

Keith’s arms were still crossed, except now they were wrapped around him like a shield. He still didn’t look Shiro in the eyes. “I know,” he repeated.

It was silent for a moment. “If you don’t want to talk about it….”

“I don’t,” Keith replied.

Shiro was patient, though. “That’s fine.”

It was quiet as they continued to eat. After a while, Keith spoke up.

“Do you know when Pidge is coming back?”

Shiro set his plate down. “Not today. Matt took them to that arcade they both love. They’re probably gonna be there all day… Pidge didn’t seem like they were ready to leave just yet.”

Keith frowned deeply, his heart coiling tightly for a brief moment before he shrugged. “Okay.”

Shiro could see through his nonchalance, though.

“They miss you too, Keith. They’re just stubborn like you. But I’m sure everything will be fine when you two talk it out, tomorrow.”

Keith scoffed. “Things would be fine  _ now _ if they came back.”

All Shiro did at that was shrug. “I don’t know what to tell you. You’re just going to have to be patient. It’s just one more night.”

Yeah. Another night alone in the dorm. 

Keith used to like it. He used to like having the house to himself… the silence.

But now it was suffocating. 

Shiro seemed to sense Keith’s change in mood.

“Do you want to stay at my place, tonight?” he asked. 

Keith gave Shiro a tight smile. “You don’t have to do that.”

“This isn’t a charity act. Believe it or not, I miss having you around.”

Keith sifted through his food, and lifted a shoulder up before letting it drop in a noncommittal fashion. Shiro spoke up, again.

“When was the last time we had one of our scary movie nights?”

Keith smiled at that. “We had to stop them. You hate scary movies.”

“Well… hate is a strong word.”

Keith laughed for a second before putting his plate down on the floor, and pushing it away. He raked his fingers through his hair, tugging back his fringe as he let out a sigh. “I don’t know, Shiro… I have classes, tomorrow.”

“So do I. A morning one. I told you that in the text I sent with my schedule… the one you probably didn’t read.”

Keith reddened. Shiro smiled teasingly before he continued.

“I’ll drive you back to your dorm. We’ll be going to the same place, after all. You’ll have plenty of time to get ready for your afternoon classes.”

Keith thought about it for a moment. He finally relented.

“Yeah, okay. Sure.”

Shiro grinned, and it was the happiest Keith had seen him in a while. 

“Great. Pack a bag- if we leave now we can probably get four movies in.”

* * *

 

Keith was in the passenger seat of Shiro’s car when he decided to check the notifications that piled up on his phone. Many of them were Snapchats from Lance. Keith opened up the app, and clicked on the purple box that awaited him, sitting enticingly next to Lance’s name.

The first one was a video that panned around the festival, displaying vendors, a playground off in the distance, a lake, a stage with performers, and a bustling crowd of people. Keith smiled slightly when the video switched to the front camera, displaying Lance giving a blinding grin.

The next was a photo of Lance with a flower crown in his hair- it seemed to be made of real flowers. Yellow daisies, red and white roses, and pink peonies made up the halo. The caption said “a SUPER GORGEOUS AMAZING girl let me borrow this for a selfie!!!”, then ended with some kissing emojis.

He looked… cute. Really cute. Keith was smiling bigger now, and he didn’t even notice until Shiro spoke up.

“Is that Lance?” he asked, and his voice was teasing.

Keith flinched slightly and looked up at Shiro, who was stopped at a red light, then back to his phone. He could feel his ears heat up as he tried to avoid his brother’s gaze. He tapped the screen to skip to the next photo, trying to be nonchalant. “Yeah,” he murmured as he watched a selfie video of Lance getting his face painted.

“He’s a nice kid,” Shiro continued, and Keith knew he was trying to get him to speak more about him.

Keith didn’t play along. “Stop saying ‘kid’ like you’re a middle aged father of ten.”

“Some days, I feel like I am,” Shiro rebutted.

Keith laughed, and watched as the face paint video came to an end.

Then he saw the last one.

It was a selfie of Lance and Rolo, both their faces painted. Rolo looked shocked- his face painted into a pink and glittery butterfly. Lance looked absolutely giddy and vibrant.

Keith felt his heart sink.

“Who’s that he’s with?” Shiro asked innocently.

Keith exited out of the app, then locked his phone. He felt unreasonably irritated, and blamed that for the clipped answer he gave Shiro.

“Some guy he’s into,” he murmured as he crossed his arms, looking out the window.

Shiro hummed thoughtfully. He, thankfully, didn’t comment further on the matter, or on Keith’s behavior. But he didn’t let the topic of Lance drop.

“So Lance told me he’s tutoring you.”

Keith sighed. “Shiro….”

“I’m glad you’re getting help with art. That’s the smart thing to do, and it’s nice of him to help out--”

“You don’t know the whole thing,” Keith explained, and he felt the whole messed up story bubbling up inside him, waiting to be let out. He just wanted to tell Shiro everything- how he and Lance really met, how they got into this whole situation, and how Lance somehow _changed_ something inside Keith. How he made him feel something he's never felt before- a mix of thrilling emotions that he couldn't possibly begin to name.

How those feelings got him to argue with his best friend.

How he was so,  _so_ terrified of getting to know Lance more, but wanted to anyways- was addicted to his presence, and felt... felt like a _better_ person when he was near him.

To be honest, Keith didn't even know if he could put it all into words.

Shiro raised a brow. “Then why don’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s… complicated.”

Shiro watched the road for a while, seeming to be thinking over his response.

“I do really like Lance,” he finally spoke, and his voice sounded sure. “He’s really smart and gives off a nice vibe… seems like a good person for you to hang around.”

Keith smiled, and his heart flipped. He didn’t know why, but Shiro’s approval suddenly made everything seem… okay. Keith didn’t feel so guilty about his strange feelings towards Lance- how he wanted to just get closer every time he was near him. It was because Lance was just so  _ good.  _ Everyone probably felt that way around him- that strange pull that made people gravitate towards the light Lance seemed to give off. The warmth.

Keith's smile grew softer.

“Yeah, he’s such a dork, though,” he murmured, then at an eyebrow raise and smirk from Shiro, he added, “So how’s the engagement planning going?”

That successfully distracted Shiro, who went on to spill everything to Keith- replaying the plan in a detailed scene-by-scene, admitting his anxieties and worries about what could go wrong, but also his excitement over the whole ordeal. Keith did his best to listen to and reassure his foster brother, and he was suddenly glad he’d agreed to stay at Shiro’s place. 

It was a lot better than staying at his dorm, with no one but his thoughts to keep him company.

Keith got another snap from Lance. He angled his phone away from Shiro as he opened this one.

It was of the sunset through the passenger seat window of a car. 

Keith smiled, and looked up through his own window. It was a simple thing, but he felt a whole lot closer to Lance knowing they were both driving down a highway, looking at the same sky.

* * *

 

Rolo pulled up to the dorm building, and turned to give Lance a smile.

“Thanks for joining me, tonight,” he spoke, his arm resting comfortably on the back of Lance’s seat as he gave him an easy smile.

Lance smiled back, feeling his nonchalance quaver. He was ready to go inside, pull up Netflix’s romance movie section, and call it a night. 

“Thanks for inviting me.”

“It was no problem. We really should do this more,” Rolo insisted as he turned off the radio, his hand brushing Lance’s collar as it left his seat in the process. Lance had a sudden unwelcome flashback: Rolo’s lips pressed to Lance’s neck, his breath hot and hands pulling Lance close from the passenger seat.

_ “Let’s move to the back,” he breathed, and Lance nodded eagerly.  _

Lance swallowed, and gave a quick smile as he said, “Well, I’ll see you later--”

“Oh- wait, I forgot to tell you. I got you something,” Rolo rushed, grabbing Lance’s arm for a second as his other hand reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out something blue--

Lance’s eyes widened as they landed on the small glass figure in the palm of Rolo’s hand. It was a dolphin, blown with glass-- a patterned swirl of dark and light blues ribboned through clear glass. At the top was a small hole where a navy blue cord laced through. 

“I, uhm… remembered you saying you liked dolphins… how they remind you of home, and… yeah. I thought you could hang it in your car? To match the whole blue theme.”

Lance didn’t know how he felt warm and empty all at the same time, but he did. He offered up a quavering smile as he took the trinket. His fingers brushed with Rolo’s, an electrifying touch, and they lingered for a moment before pulling away. He lifted it up by the cord, watching as the sunlight caught on it. It really was beautiful. “Thank you… I really love it.”

Rolo smiled back. “It’s no problem,” he replied, and he seemed almost modest. “I’ll, uhm… is it alright if I text you? We can make plans.”

“Yeah,” Lance answered, maybe a bit too fast. 

“Cool.” Rolo’s grin grew wider, his eyes happy. Lance felt drawn towards him. 

“Okay,” Lance confirmed, “I’ll talk to you later. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Lance.”

The glass grew warm in Lance’s hand as he climbed out the car and walked into his building. He felt out of his body- like something was missing.

When he got back to his room, Hunk was still there with Shay. They were both snoozing away on Hunk’s bed, the TV still on and flickering lights onto their peaceful forms.

Lance smiled softly, something tugging at his chest, and he walked over to the TV and turned it off for them, then gently took the bowl of popcorn that sat half eaten on the bed, placing it on Hunk’s desk.

The two hardly stirred- Shay had her arms wrapped around Hunk’s torso, her cheek pressed against his chest. Hunk had one arm around her, and the other hung off his bed. They both looked so sweet and perfect, and Lance felt (not for the first time) a familiar tingle of jealousy worming its way into his heart.

He was happy for Hunk, though. And for Shay. They were both the kindest people he knew, and nobody deserved this more than them. 

Still… it hurt.

Lance, deciding to forgo his shower, instead washed the paint from his face, and put the dolphin down by the sink. Not much feeling like sleeping, he changed quickly into some pajamas and decided to go hang out in the dorm lounge. 

It was empty when he reached it. Seeing as it was a Sunday night, he wasn’t surprised. Everyone was either asleep or visiting family for the weekend. He could hear someone leaving the kitchen and walking back to their room, but other than that it was silent.

Lance closed the door to the lounge behind him, and walked to one of the couches, sinking into the cushions. He grabbed the remote for the community TV, and flicked it on. He remained so still, eyes glued to the screen, that the motion sensor lights eventually flicked off, leaving Lance in a dark room with nothing but the pale blue light of the TV to keep him company.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he realized his face was wet with tears. It could have been seconds… minutes.. hours. It just happened, and then he was crying hard, burying his face into his arms, stifling the noise of it against the sleeves of his sweater.

If someone were to ask him why he was so upset, Lance wasn’t sure he’d be able to answer. So many different thoughts swirled around in his head- he couldn’t say what he was most upset about.

Maybe it was facing Hunk in the morning… or seeing Rolo in class, tomorrow. Or maybe he just felt like a huge part of himself was missing- like there was a giant, gaping hole in his chest where his heart should be.

Either way, he was not prepared to meet what awaited him. Why did everything have to be so damn  _ difficult  _ all the time? 

Everything in Lance wanted to text Rolo. When they texted each other, it was happy, and fun. They’d talk about a bunch of stuff- flirt a little, tease each other…. But he couldn’t do that- he couldn’t add salt to his wound.

It would be so easy… just a simple message- a “thank you for tonight”.

Lance’s eyes flickered to the TV and caught what looked like a grainy image of a UFO, followed by a cut to a woman’s face as she recounted her abduction. He snorted, instantly thinking of Keith and Pidge.

Lance dug through his pocket for his phone, taking it out and snapping a picture of the TV before typing out a caption:

_ Some alien documentary is on the TV in the lounge… if you’re still awake and interested. _

He sent the Snapchat to Keith, and put his phone down as he continued to watch the documentary. He didn’t expect a response- Keith had yet to respond to any of Lance’s snaps today, though he did open each one. 

So he was shocked when his phone buzzed by his foot.

He picked it up quickly, and his eyes widened when he saw Keith’s name on his phone- a tiny ghost icon above his name.

Keith had replied. 

_ Figures I’d have to mention aliens to get his attention,  _ Lance thought with an eye roll before opening it.

There was a picture of a TV screen in what seemed to be a dark living room. The caption read:

_ I would, but I’m at Shiro’s.  _

Before Lance could even reply, Keith sent another snap of the TV, writing out:

_ Is it the one with the redhead lady who said she and her kids got abducted? They’ve been rerunning that. _

Lance snorted before taking a selfie, being sure to roll his eyes in the photo.

_ Of course you’ve already seen it. Tell Shiro I say hi. _

And Lance put his phone away, expecting that to be the last of their conversation. He continued watching the documentary with disinterest, legs folded against his chest and his head propped on his knees.

He was about two minutes in when his phone vibrated, again. He grabbed it, and saw the notification for a chat from Keith.

**Keith:**

_ Are you alright? _

Lance swallowed hard, staring at the message. His heart thumped fast in his chest, and he had to take a moment to gather his wits.

The selfie… duh. He probably still looked like shit from crying.

Lance sighed, running a hand down his face before he took a moment to reply.

**Me:**

_ Never been better.  _

Before he could even exit out of the chat, it signaled that Keith was logged on. So Lance waited for his reply. 

**Keith:**

_ You sure? You don’t look great. _

**Me:**

_ Gee, thanks _

**Keith:**

_ No, I just _

_ I didn’t mean it like that _

**Me:**

_ Relax, I’m just messing with you. I’m fine, don’t worry. _

**Keith:**

_ … alright. _

_ Why are you still up? _

Lance hesitated, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

**Me:**

_ Bc I’m watching this alien documentary. It’s riveting _

Before Keith could call out Lance’s obvious dodging of the question, he sent another message:

_ So… are u strictly an alien, tinfoil hat sort of conspiracy theorist? Or do u branch out _

**Keith:**

_ I feel like you’re teasing me… _

**Me:**

_ A little. Also some genuine curiosity _

It took Keith a moment to reply.

**Keith:**

_ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4JG4k-2cco _

Lance clicked on the link, and stared dumbly at the video it brought him to. He had no idea what he was looking at.

**Me:**

_ What the fuck is a mothman? _

**Keith:**

_ He’s out there, Lance. _

**Me:**

_ You’re not serious, right? _

**Keith:**

_ …. _

**Me:**

_ oh my god _

_ Keith _

_ my guy _

_ pls tell me you dont actually believe this junk _

**Keith:**

_ Maybe… _

_ there’s something u actually might find interesting _

_ are u easily scared? _

**Me:**

_ watching horror movies is my religion _

**Keith:**

_ look up the Dyatlov Pass incident _

And Lance did- he read the entire Wikipedia page for it, and ended up finding and watching a theory video. It was nearly an hour before he replied to Keith, and he felt unsettled by what he’d read and watched. There was a chill in his bones.

**Me:**

_ holy fuck _

_ what did i just read _

_ and WATCH _

_ holy _

_ im _

_ whaT _

Lance expected Keith to be asleep- it was well past three o’clock in the morning, now. He leaned back in his couch, and flicked the channel to some cartoons to take his mind off of what he’d read.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

**Keith:**

_ i know right. _

**Me:**

_ what do you think did it??? _

_ i feel like it was other people… it had to have been _

_ but there was no sign of other people… _

_ maybe hypothermia and hallucinations or something... _

_ so crazy. i hate you. i’m never gonna stop thinking about this _

**Keith:**

_ There’s one obvious answer you haven’t considered _

**Me:**

_?????????? ? ?? ? ?  _

**Keith:**

_ aliens _

**Me:**

_ Keith… _

_ why do u gotta say crud like that _

_ i ffcking _

_ refuse to believe _

_ that it was somethgin paranormal _

_ fuk u _

_ im _

**Keith:**

_ I thought u weren’t easily scared? _

**Me:**

_ I’m not scared! _

_ It’s just the middle of the night _

_ and im in the lounge all by myself _

**Keith:**

_ ur still in the lounge? _

**Me:**

_ yeah _

_ watching Finding Nemo. it just came on _

_ what are you doing up? _

**Keith:**

_ Shiro and I were watching horror movies _

**Me:**

_ were? _

**Keith:**

_ well.. im in bed now  _

**Me:**

_ Keith… _

_ did I wake u up??? ? _

**Keith:**

_ … _

**Me:**

_ omg _

_ im so sorry _

_ i feel shitty _

**Keith:**

_ no, dont _

_ it’s ok. i dont mind _

**Me:**

_ im sorryyyyyy _

_ go back to sleep _

_ imma watch Nemo get his ass lost and found _

**Keith:**

_ you should sleep _

_ classes tomorrow _

**Me:**

_ I… can’t rlly, rn _

**Keith:**

_ why not? _

**Me:**

_ it’s nothing _

_ just thinking  _

**Keith:**

_ oh _

_... _

_ do you wanna talk about it? _

**Me:**

_ honestly? fuk no _

**Keith:**

_ I mean, im here if you need someone.. _

_ yknow _

_ to talk to _

**Me:**

_ im not up for it rn. _

_ but thanks, buddy.  _

**Keith:**

_ you should try lying down in your bed. _

_ maybe youll fall asleep _

_ we have a test today, ur gonna need some rest _

**Me:**

_ I can’t. like, im tired, but my mind wont stop running. _

**Keith:**

_ I get that _

_ but still… lying down in your bed will be better than watching TV _

_ in terms of getting some sleep, i mean _

**Me:**

_ yeah, ok, im gonna go lie down _

**Keith:**

_ send me proof when you do _

Lance sighed. He was actually going to just keep watching the movie, but now… maybe if he just didn’t reply, Keith would think he’d gone to bed?

He made it fifteen minutes into the film before his phone buzzed.

**Keith:**

_ ur not in bed are u _

**Me:**

_ … _

_ im going for real, now _

Lance got up, turned off the TV, and walked back to his room. When he got there, Shay was gone and Hunk was fast asleep, the room having been cleaned up since Lance was last in it.

He brushed his teeth, then went to his bed and climbed under the covers, yanking them up to his chest, then pulling out his phone and taking a selfie. He glared at the camera: half from the flash and half from annoyance, then typed out the caption “proof”.

**Keith:**

_ good. _

_ you feeling any sleepier? _

**Me:**

_ nope.  _

**Keith:**

_ That’s okay, you will soon _

_ we can just talk until you fall asleep? _

**Me:**

_ you dont have to do that _

**Keith:**

_ i dont. but staying up by yourself sucks _

**Me:**

_ yeah… _

_ normally i’d talk to sofia. but she’s got her first day at this new job, tomorrow _

_ she’s been really excited about it _

_ i dont wanna keep her up _

**Keith:**

_ do you usually talk to her a lot? _

**Me:**

_ yeah. every day, pretty much. if we dont call we text _

_ she lives with her husband and my niece in a house near my mom and dad’s place. so she keeps me updated on everything that goes on there. _

**Keith:**

_ she has a kid? _

**Me:**

_ yeah. sofi’s, like, seven years older than me. im the youngest of the family. her kid is two years old. her name is mariposa, after my mom. but we all call her mari. shes adorable. i miss them all a lot, sometimes _

**Keith:**

_ tell me more about your family _

**Me:**

_ it’s a lot to introduce you to. you sure? _

**Keith:**

_ yeah. tell me _

**Me:**

_ ok, well… there’s my mom and dad. my dad’s name is James McClain. his family is from Scotland. Then my mom, Mariposa Álvarez. She’s Cuban. Then there’s her sister, Beatriz, and her mom, Maria, and her dad, Nico.  _

_ Then there’s my siblings. My brothers are both thirty-five now so they’ve moved out. They’re twins, and the oldest- Matteo and Charlie. Matty is married to this awesome girl, Alex, and they have a boy named Leo. Charlie is getting married this March to a girl he’s been with since college. Her name is Olivia. _

_ I have three sisters. The oldest is Riley, and she’s thirty-two. She lives with her girlfriend in New York. Then there’s Natalie, who’s thirty. She’s a doctor in Concord. The last is Sofia, who’s twenty-seven and lives in a neighborhood next to my mom’s with her family. My dad’s parents live in Michigan, and he has a brother named George who also lives close by _

_ And… that’s about it. _

**Keith:**

_ Wow. _

_ that is a lot _

**Me:**

_ yeah… and that’s only the relatives that I see every year. we have more extended family that lives all over the place. _

**Keith:**

_ That must be really nice _

**Me:**

_ yeah. it’s hectic around holiday times, but nice. besides, I’ve got my own room in the attic, so whenever I’m home I have my own space. _

**Keith:**

_ is there room for everyone during holidays? _

**Me:**

_ yeah. you’d be surprised how many people you can squeeze into a house. and ours is pretty big, so it works _

_ how about you? you said your family lives in Oregon? _

**Keith:**

_ Uh, yeah. there’s just my parents. nobody else. _

_ don’t really know of any extended family.  _

_ so… you’ve got seven years to your closest sibling… was that?... _

**Me:**

_ yes, Keith, I was an accident. _

_ but I’d like to think I was a happy one _

**Keith:**

_ I’m sure you are the light of your family’s life _

**Me:**

_ shut up _

Lance thought Keith went to sleep, after that. It took a few minutes for him to get a reply.

**Keith:**

_ so what kind of art do you like to do? _

Lance smiled before typing out his response. When Lance told people his major, they usually didn’t think to ask him what art he enjoyed doing. They normally just asked him what he’d do for a job. It was a refreshing change.

**Me:**

_ watercolors. and just regular pencil sketches _

**Keith:**

_ what do you like to draw? _

**Me:**

_ anything, really. pretty landscapes… pretty people _

_ Hunk has been the subject of my paintings and sketches multiple times. _

_ I could paint you, too… if you’d like _

Lance paused after sending the message, realizing the implications of what he’d just said. His heart hammered against his chest as he waited for Keith’s reply. Maybe he wouldn’t notice?

**Keith:**

_ is that your way of telling me i’m pretty? _

Of course he noticed.

Lance covered his red face with a hand, trying to compose himself before he replied. It took a few attempts, and he deleted multiple messages before choosing one to go with. He thumb shook over the send button, then pressed down on it.

**Me:**

_ don’t act like you don’t know you’re pretty. _

_ Mr. “look at my long gorgeous hair” _

_ “ooooo look at my cool leather jacket and motorcycle” _

_ “I wear gloves in eighty degree weather” _

**Keith:**

_ they’re fingerless! and for the bike… _

**Me:**

_ ooooo i ride a bike because im a mysterious bad boy _

**Keith:**

_ oh my god _

_ shut up _

_ ur the worst stop _

**Me:**

_ just telling it like it is, my guy _

**Keith:**

_ whatever. you’re the one that called me pretty. _

**Me:**

_ what? no i didn’t. don’t remember. didn’t happen _

**Keith:**

_ yoU juST DID IT _

**Me:**

_ I don’t remember it so it didn’t happen _

_ consider it payback for forgetting who I was when I stopped you in the halls _

**Keith:**

_ I can literally go back and save the message and _

_ wait _

_ that’s not my fault! _

_ we’ve established that _

**Me:**

_ doesn’t heal the burn, Keith _

_ doesn’t mend my heart _

**Keith:**

_ whatever… _

_ and that’s a yes, by the way _

**Me:**

_ a yes to what? _

**Keith.**

_ you… _

_ drawing me. _

_ i wouldn’t mind.. if you wanted to _

**Me:**

_ alright then! i will :) _

**Keith:**

_ cool. _

_ where did you learn to paint? _

So Lance told him. They talked for another hour about how Lance learned to paint from his dad, and how Keith always wanted to be good with painting, and then the next thing Lance knew he was agreeing to teach Keith how to paint, and they suddenly scheduled their first lesson for Sunday morning.

Lance talked to Keith about anything and everything- how the only recipe he’s ever memorized by heart are lemon squares, because they’re his dad’s favorite. And how his mother has a huge garden in the backyard of his home- how his dad was building a greenhouse for her to put some of her fruits and vegetables in. He even somehow ended up recounting a random memory from his childhood of when he went fishing with his grandpa, and accidentally got a fish hook caught in his knee, resulting in his first real scar and first ever visit to the hospital. In return, Keith told Lance about how his own first time in the hospital was when he was six years old. How it was because his mom told him to stop climbing trees, so he did it out of spite, and then proceeded to break his wrist after falling off a tall oak in his backyard. He’d apparently tried to hide it the whole day before his mom caught him and freaked out then took him to the hospital.

Lance couldn’t remember the last time he’d texted someone all night. It felt like no time had passed at all, and he couldn’t even recall how many times he’d had to stifle a laugh into his pillow in an attempt not to wake up Hunk.

They were in the middle of exchanging their favorite movies and TV shows when Lance finally fell asleep- his phone warm in his hand.

He dreamt of a glittering blue dolphin, and a sunset that made the ocean glow a warm red….

* * *

 

“You look exhausted. Didn’t you get any sleep?”

Keith gave a noncommittal grunt as he walked towards Shiro’s coffeepot, pouring himself a huge mug-full. He took a large gulp of the steaming hot liquid, ignoring Shiro’s wince, and then proceeded to take a seat at the kitchen table, dropping his backpack by his chair.

He dozed in and out while gazing at his coffee before it was gently moved to the side, and replaced with a glass of orange juice, a bowl of cereal, and some lactose pills.

“Eat up. We gotta leave in a few.”

Keith took the spoon that was offered to him. “Thanks,” he yawned. Shiro sat across from him with his own breakfast. They ate in silence until Keith let out what had to be his fifth yawn.

“What were you doing all night if not sleeping?” Shiro asked, eyebrow lifted in suspicion.

“Nothing. Watching TV.”

Shiro hummed, and didn’t say anything more. When they finished eating they cleaned up and went out the door. They got to Shiro’s car, and drove off.

“You ready for your test today?” he asked, glancing at Keith in the passenger seat.

“More than I can be.”

“You were studying those note cards all night. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. I’ll probably study some more before class.”

“Or you could sleep. You’d be amazed what a sufficient amount of sleep can do for your memory and test-taking abilities.”

Keith rolled his eyes towards Shiro, until he looked back at him and shrugged.

“I’m just saying,” he insisted.

“I can sleep tonight,” Keith replied, rolling up the sleeves to his black shirt. It was warmer today than he thought it’d be, and the heat of the day was making him feel incredibly lazy. He stifled a yawn as Shiro replied.

“You sure you won’t get  _ distracted  _ again?”

Keith’s hand instinctively went to his phone. “I don’t think I could stay up even if I wanted to.”

“Good. You need your rest.”

It was quiet the rest of the drive. Keith angled his phone away as he checked his Snapchats from Lance.

The first was a selfie of him laid down in bed, hair messy and eyes tired. The caption read ‘I both hate and admire how late we stayed up’. Keith smiled at that, then clicked to the next one- a photo sent just two minutes ago of a dry bowl of cereal and an empty carton of milk with the caption ‘why is this happening to me I’m a good person’.

Keith snorted before sending him a snap of the road, and typing out ‘I have some soy milk in the community fridge if you want it’. Lance opened it instantly. Two minutes later, he replied with a selfie of his now milk-filled bowl of cereal below his face, a wide smile stretching his lips with a bunch of heart emojis floating around him. His message said ‘I FKING; LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE’. Keith rolled his eyes with a smile, and locked his phone as he looked out the window, focusing on the drawl of NPR on in the background.

They pulled up into the dorm ten minutes later, and Shiro gave Keith a big smile as he said, “See you later. Say hi to Lance for me.”

Keith stalled, wondering if he’d been that obvious, and said a quick goodbye before opening the door. Before he could step out, Shiro spoke, again.

“When is your lunch break, again?”

“Two.”

“Do you wanna grab something to eat, then?”

Keith hesitated. “Uh, I usually… hang out with…” he didn’t finish.

“Lance can come, too,” Shiro said with an easy smile, no hint of teasing behind it. “Invite anyone you want.”

Keith took a moment to consider it. Maybe he’d invite Pidge, too…. 

“Yeah. Okay. But we’re going to the dining hall. I’ll swipe you in.”

Shiro seemed content. “Sounds good. Do you wanna meet at the science gazebo?”

“Sure.”

They said their goodbyes then, and Keith walked into his building with a mix of feelings in his gut… there was some excitement swirled in with his anxiety. 

He didn’t know exactly how he felt. 

When he got to his room, he was met with the sight of Pidge sitting on their bed and fiddling with their laptop. They paused, however, when Keith walked in. 

Pidge sat up straight, their face unreadable, and Keith tensed. He slowly closed the door behind him, then made his way to his bed, dropping his bag on it.

“Hey,” he spoke, testing the waters.

There was silence for a beat, then a shy “hi” in return. 

Keith chanced a glance in his roommate’s direction, and they were still looking at him intently. He swallowed hard, gathering his courage, and then straightened up and turned to face them.

“I’m sorry,” he spoke, and he made sure to sound as genuine as he felt. “For everything. I didn’t mean to--”

Pidge got up, then, and walked over to Keith. He stopped talking, and Pidge stared at him for a moment before lurching forward, and wrapping him in a hug. Keith was tense for a moment, eyes wide before he sagged with relief, hugging his friend back.

“It’s okay.”

Pidge’s hair tickled Keith’s nose. He spoke up.

“No it’s not. Nothing I did was alright.”

“It’s not all your fault,” Pidge replied, and they pulled away, meeting Keith’s eyes before dodging away sheepishly. “I shouldn’t have pushed you,” they murmured. “I was just… I was really excited for you. I may have gone too far.”

“Let’s just put it behind us,” Keith spoke, and Pidge seemed relieved.

“Deal,” they agreed. Then they smiled, “Can we not fight ever again? Honestly, you should’ve seen how distraught Matt and Shiro were over it. I almost felt bad for involving them in the first place.”

Keith laughed. “Yeah, deal.”

Pidge grinned wider, and they went over to their bed, stuffing their laptop in their backpack. “I was just about to go get breakfast at the dining hall and study a bit. Wanna join?”

Keith nodded, picking up his own backpack. All his exhaustion had been wiped away, and he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Sure.”

* * *

 

“Their observatory is  _ amazing!  _ And Keith, the planetary show? I have to admit, I cried a little bit during it.”

Keith smiled into his tea, and set his mug down. “Aren’t those shows usually for elementary schoolers?”

“The dialogue was riveting. Perfect. Hollywood material and beyond.”

He couldn’t help it- Keith laughed, and Pidge continued to launch into and in-depth retelling of their full experience at the science museum. It ended with Keith agreeing to go with them on Saturday. 

“So Shiro wants to have lunch, today,” Keith spoke up, fiddling with some eggs on his plate. “I was gonna just bring him here. He wants you to come with.”

Pidge looked up from their computer, which was sat on the table and surrounded with homework and books. Their food sat mostly untouched- the only thing that had been cleared off it was a small stack of blueberry pancakes. Leftover maple syrup had trickled over their plate, and was now making friends with a no-doubt cold bagel half and some apple slices.

“What time?” they asked.

“Probably around two.”

Pidge thought for a moment. “I’ll be a little late, but I can meet up with you guys around two thirty?”

“That’s fine,” Keith replied. “Hey- do you know if Hunk is free at that time?”

Hunk and Pidge had exchanged numbers the night they’d all had dinner, together. Apparently the two had been texting nonstop about all sorts of stuff- some TV show they both liked, classes, and random dorky engineering stuff. They’d become close friends, Pidge revealed.

“Actually, he has class with me, today!” Pidge exclaimed. “I can invite him to join us?”

“That’d be good,” Keith spoke. Then, as casually as he could, “Shiro wanted me to invite Lance, too.”

Pidge thankfully didn’t do any teasing beyond a knowing smile.

“So he’s met Lance?”

Keith shrugged, but he couldn’t help but recall Shiro’s recollection of Lance’s performance in his class- his excellent grades and enthusiastic participation. Shiro normally did his best to remember students, but it was incredibly difficult, seeing as he taught lectures to hundreds of people. Only a few ever managed to make a mark in Shiro’s memory, and Lance had been one of them. Keith felt oddly proud of that. 

“Yeah. He was apparently his student. They know each other.”

Pidge let out a hum in response. They took a sip of their iced coffee. “Sounds like it’ll be fun. I’ll let Hunk know, then.”

The two roommates continued to study and eat mostly in a content silence- only speaking up when asking questions on homework. 

Keith was nearly done studying the notecards Lance had made him when Pidge’s foot prodded him from under the table. He looked up, meeting their eyes and raising a brow in question.

Pidge gave him their sweetest smile, leaning forward onto the table.  _ “Keeeiiithhh?  _ My best friend in the whole world- the most beautiful gay I have ever met--”

“What do you want?” Keith asked, not without an amused smile.

“Can you get me another coffee?”

Keith turned his head around, looking over at the coffee stand, his eyes falling upon the long line in front of it and the two baristas busily making drinks.

He sighed, slumping in his seat slightly before sitting back up and putting his flashcards away. “Iced vanilla latte?”  he asked, in a way of an answer. 

Pidge smiled wide. “Thank you.”

Keith took his phone from off the table, bringing it with him as he walked over to wait in line. He needed a break, anyways, and he could get himself another tea while he was at it…. 

He took this opportunity to go through his notifications. He had a few texts- some from Shiro, one from Allura, a few from Shiro’s mom… and, of course, texts and snaps from Lance.

He read the ones from Shiro, first.

**10:05 A.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**Someone abruptly stood up in the middle of my lecture and said, “Oh my god. I’m sorry. This isn’t calculus, I’m so sorry.” then left.**

**10:06 A.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**It reminded me of that time you stayed through a whole environmental feminism class because you didn’t want everyone to know you walked into the wrong room.**

Keith laughed before typing out his reply.

**11:43 A.M., Keith Kogane:**

**I learned a lot about Barbara Kingsolver that day**

**also, we’re a month into the semester, i’m??? how?? did he??? mess up so badly??**

Allura had sent Keith a picture of a flyer for the Basquiat exhibit, with the simple message “so when are you gonna come see it?”

Keith sighed before typing out his response.

**11:44 A.M., Keith Kogane:**

**soon. maybe with Pidge**

He read through his messages from Shiro’s mom. She was mostly checking in on him, asking how he was doing. Keith sent a few short replies, trying his best to compose nice messages for her to read. He didn’t text her often, but when he did she normally responded quickly, asking him for a call. 

Well, he’d have to do it eventually.

The moment he replied to her, she was already replying asking if he was eating enough, or sleeping well, and if his classes were going well so far. It was actually Keith who suggested he call her tomorrow morning to catch her up on things, and she seemed happy about that. Keith felt a nervous flutter in his heart, and clicked on Lance’s texts to distract himself.

**10:17 A.M., Lance McClain:**

**did you manage to sleep at all, last night?**

**10:50 A.M., Lance McClain:**

**do u drink ur coffee w/ sugar or are u one of those soulless ppl who drink it black?**

Keith smiled before he replied.

**11:50 A.M., Keith Kogane:**

**i got like three hours**

**and… black. why?**

He checked his snaps next. There was one selfie of Lance in his room- Hunk and Shay in the background being adorable. Lance was rolling his eyes in this one, and the caption read “couples”. 

Keith laughed when he saw the next one- a snap of the two of them laughing, Shay leaned into Hunk’s side where they were sat on his bed. The caption said “who am i kidding,,,,,,, god i wish that were me”. 

The next was a video of the campus as Lance walked through it- the sky clear and sun bright where it shone on the campus Green. People were sitting on hammocks where they either napped or read, some were lounging on the grass, and there were people running the path that wound around the grassy space. He wrote: “we gotta have one of our study sessions here some time”.

Keith hesitated before taking a discreet photo- just of the floor and his shoes. He wrote “it’s supposed to be cold this friday, so maybe the next one”. He sent it.

“Keith?” a voice spoke, and he jerked his head up--

He resisted the urge to groan as Rolo made his way over to him, two coffees in his hands.

“Uh… hi,” Keith greeted him, looking at the line he was in, and wishing that the four people in front of him were gone so he could busy himself by making his order and leaving.

Rolo gave a friendly smile, but Keith didn’t trust it. “Are you here with Lance?” he asked, and he seemed to look behind Keith, as if he’d find him. 

“No. I’m with my roommate.”

Rolo looked confused. “Did he not want to come along?”

Keith shrugged before crossing his arms. He didn’t like the way Rolo’s voice had gone- like he was trying to figure something out.

“No… my roommate was gone all weekend. I wanted to hang with them a bit.”

But Rolo didn’t drop it.

“Isn’t Lance by himself right now?”

Keith bristled. “How would you know that?”

“Snapchat. He was telling me he was gonna take a walk before classes so that Hunk and Shay could hang out in the dorm alone.”

_ Fuck. _

Keith definitely didn’t seem like a good boyfriend at the moment. Or even like a boyfriend, at all.

“We’re having lunch together, today,” Keith supplied, taking a few steps when the line moved forward. Rolo kept up with him. “And hanging out after class.”

Rolo was watching him carefully. His eyes scrutinized Keith, but he put on a friendly smile. He seemed suddenly… sure of something. Keith didn’t like the feeling it gave him.

“Oh, okay. Cool. I’ll see you guys in history, then. Gotta go get this to Nyma.”

And just like that he was off with a smile and a slight wave, and Keith was feeling both pissy and jittery. 

There was also another feeling… guilt? A need to stick it to Rolo? Keith didn’t know.

Maybe he should have invited Lance… but he wanted some alone time with Pidge so he could make sure things were solid with them.

Lance didn’t mind. Keith knew he didn’t- it was just Rolo getting under his skin.

But… why did he feel like he had something to prove?

Needless to say, Keith was in a pissy mood when he brought Pidge’s coffee and his own drink back to their table. 

Pidge noticed right away.

“Uh oh. What happened?” they asked, looking concerned as they put aside their computer. They took the coffee Keith handed them with a soft “thanks”.

Keith sat down and opened his mouth to rant before he suddenly remembered Pidge’s own history with Rolo, and snapped his mouth shut. He huffed, eyebrows furrowed as he took a gulp of his tea. It scalded his tongue and throat, and burned on the way down.

“Nothing,” he muttered.

“Keith….” 

Keith waved a hand, pulling Lance’s flashcards to him and shuffling through them absentmindedly. Lance’s loopy scrawl of handwriting calmed him in a way. He’d written in color code- with one of those multicolor pens. To top it all off, he used an array of bright highlighters to accentuate certain facts and words. Keith had thought the overly flashy cards were annoying to study at first, but now he found them… endearing? 

“Just ran into some dick from one of my classes,” he replied, not looking up at Pidge- focusing his glare on the cards as he tried to calm his breathing and loosen his tense muscles. He rolled his shoulders, and let out an annoyed sigh. “Honestly, I don’t know why I even let him get to me.”

“You let everyone get to you,” Pidge teased fondly. “I still think you should start doing karate classes, again. Gotta let out all that extra aggression… or, er,  _ energy,”  _ they corrected themselves when Keith gave them a look.

“I’m fine,” he insisted. “How’s your studying going?”

Pidge beamed. “I actually think I’m really prepared. I’m sorta excited to compete with Hunk on this test, today.”

“Have you two made your competition official, now?” Keith asked with a smile as he leaned back in his seat.

Pidge nodded, and they leaned forward enthusiastically. “So the deal is: whoever beats the other pays for a day at the amusement park. It’ll be tickets for spring, since the parks close at the end of the semester for winter.”

Keith hummed. “Sounds fun.”

Pidge grew excited, then. “You and Lance should join us! We could make it a group thing.”

“I’m down.” Keith smiled. “Have you considered what you’d do if you lost? Theme park tickets aren’t exactly cheap….”

“I plan on working this year,” Pidge explained. 

Keith nodded. “Have you found anything you might wanna do?”

“Actually, I’ve already pretty much got a job lined up,” Pidge replied with a proud smile. “My friend Bee got me a position with her as an IT at the campus tech store.”

Keith raised his brows, impressed. “Wow. That’s great. Is that the same Bee you went to the museum with?”

He didn’t miss the slight blush that dusted Pidge’s cheeks. “Well, that was with a group of people. She just happened to be part of that group.”

Keith smiled teasingly, but didn’t push the matter. “I’m proud of you. That's a smart move. I really should get a job, too….”

Pidge raised a brow. “Isn’t your tuition covered? And you saved up all summer for dorm rent--”

“Yeah, but I want some extra money… as a cushion, y’know? I don’t have much for spending.”

Pidge hummed thoughtfully. “I can help you. We can job search before the museum on Saturday. Do you have a resume?”

Keith squirmed. “Uh….”

Pidge looked incredulous. “Keith! How did you get your last job?”

Keith shrugged. “Well, it was as a mechanic…. My old soccer coach’s sister owned the place. When he told her how I built my bike, she wanted to meet me. I kinda just got the job then.”

“How old were you?” Pidge asked.

“Uhhh… eighteen? I think. I had just graduated high school.”

Pidge gave an appreciative hum. “Wow. I’m impressed.”

Keith shrugged again. “I mean, it’s not gonna help me find a well paying job around here… the closest mechanic is… well. Not very close. At least, not close enough to go there straight after classes and still get enough hours.”

Pidge thought for a moment, then brightened up. “Hey! The campus recreation center is hiring. Front desk for the gym. Do you think you’d be interested in that?”

Keith brightened up, leaning forward as Pidge pulled up their laptop, their fingers flying over the keys. They pulled up the job ad in the school’s newspaper, and Keith read it over.

“I think I wanna apply,” he murmured, scrolling through the job details on Pidge’s laptop. “This sounds… great, actually.”

Pidge smiled. “Then it’s official. We’re gonna work this week on your resume, get it nice and polished for you by Saturday, and you’ll go over there and hand it to them in person.”

“Why in person?” Keith asked, furrowing his brows. “The ad says to send resumes to this email….”

“Keith. My beautiful, beautiful best friend. You’re fit as fuck- when they see you they’ll hire you on the spot.”

Keith blushed, giving Pidge a look before he sat back in his seat. He thought for a while… it was a job on campus at a place he liked to frequent, anyways…. He really did need the cash. 

“Alright. Sounds good.”

Pidge beamed, closing their laptop and stuffing it in their bag. They took a long draw of their iced vanilla coffee, and quickly checked their wristwatch- a neon green digital one Matt had given them last Christmas. “I gotta go. Class starts in fifteen.”

Keith raised a brow. “It’s a four minute walk from here.”

“Yes,” Pidge replied, squeezing books into their overstuffed bag. Keith imagined their tiny frame carrying such a heavy thing, and winced in sympathy for their poor back. “But Hunk and I like to spend a few minutes testing each other to prepare.”

Keith gave his friend an amused look. “Isn’t that like sabotaging yourself?”

“We’re still friends, Keith. Besides- it’s only fair I help him, since he’s at a huge disadvantage having  _ me  _ as an opponent.” Pidge flashed a smug grin.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Yeah, alright. Get outta here.”

Pidge continued to smile. “You gonna hang around some more?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah, I think so."

“Alright. See you for lunch.”

Keith waved a goodbye, and tried to study as much as he could. At this point, it was just shoving the same information into his brain repeatedly. He could spout these facts instinctively, now. Got any questions about buttresses? Keith Kogane was your man.

But he felt an underlying… worry? Apprehension? 

If he passed this test… yeah, it’d be good. But would that mean he wouldn’t need tutoring as much?

Would that mean less time with Lance?

Keith, without even realizing, had already gotten pretty attached to Lance and his friends. He sort of…  _ liked  _ having them around. Normally, he didn’t make an effort to meet people- but Lance had barrelled into his life headfirst and Keith had basically no choice but to accept him.

Now he didn’t know what life would be like without him.

It would feel weird. Quiet. Too quiet. 

It was way too quiet now, even in the bustling cafeteria- where voices shouted over other voices, cups clanged on tables, and food cooked on grills and in fryers- blenders whirring in the distance, people laughing, dropping plates--

But Keith felt so isolated.

With an annoyed groan, he took his things and shoved them into his backpack.

He walked back to his dorm.

* * *

 

It took everything within Keith’s willpower not to knock on Lance’s door.

He was probably still on his walk. He wouldn’t be back, yet.

_ Text him. Snap him. Find out where he is and offer to meet up with him. _

Keith’s hand gripped on tight to the strap of his backpack as he hesitated at Lance’s door.

He turned away, and walked to his room.

He barely had time to set down his backpack before he got a text.

**12:56 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**hey, u at the dorm?**

Keith sat down on his bed and typed out his reply.

**12:56 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**yeah**

**12:57 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**can i come by? :)**

Keith’s heart jumped in his chest. He found himself suppressing the need to smile as he replied.

**12:57 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**sure**

**12:57 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**cool! see u in 10**

Keith couldn’t help it- he was smiling. 

_ Lance wanted to see him, too. _

The excitement was struck down by a realization.

Lance was going to be in his room in ten minutes.

That was an hour until class, with nobody else there to act as a social buffer.

Nerves racked through Keith, and he tried to calm himself.

He and Lance always hung out alone. This wouldn’t be a big deal. Even though it was in Keith’s room… closed off from any sort of crowd or interruption.

Alone.

Keith didn’t think he was ready for that.

But he didn’t have much of a choice, did he?

So Keith packed his bag for his classes, and spent the rest of his time trying (and failing) to wait calmly. He ended up pacing around his room, running over every possibility in his head.

They’d talked a lot last night. More than Keith was used to.

He hadn’t meant to let so much spill out. But Lance was just…  _ so _ easy to talk to. It was nice… talking to him was  _ nice.  _ Not scary- not in the least.

So why was Keith so nervous?

How would they pick things up after last night? Would everything be normal? Would they have to bring up everything that last night had insinuated? This new… line, that they seemed to have crossed?

Was that why Lance was coming by early? To talk about everything they’d spoken about? To try and get more out of Keith?

Keith didn’t have time to think about that, because there was a knock on his door.

Heart launching itself to his throat, Keith made his way to his door, and opened it.

To say Lance took his breath away was an understatement.

Lance was wearing a sheer tank top- sea blue with a mermaid on the front, and Keith could see his tan skin peeking out from underneath it, warm and inviting. The tank top was tucked into some form fitted pastel purple pants, which rose just above Lance’s slim waist. His shoes were a low-rise teal color to compliment his shirt. The laces were sparkly, Keith noticed.

How somebody could look so beautiful in such outrageous colors was actually a mystery.

Lance seemed to have caught Keith looking at his outfit, because he blushed before saying, “I stole the tank top from Sofi. She noticed, and let me have it… one of my cousins switched out my laces with sparkly ones, and I liked it so I kept it…” he awkwardly trailed off, and jutted out a paper coffee cup towards Keith, avoiding his eyes. “Here.”

Keith took it, blinking as he tried to come back to Earth. “Oh. Thanks…” he waved Lance inside, and the taller boy walked in with a small smile before turning to look back at Keith.

“It’s black,” he explained, then reached into his backpack pocket, pulling some stuff out and handing it to Keith. Keith opened his hand, and took it. “I brought you some sugar in case you changed your mind.”

Keith smiled. “Thanks.” He gestured to a chair, and Lance sat down in Keith’s desk chair, turning it so he was sitting backwards on it, and leaning his elbows on the back. He had plopped his backpack at his feet, and put his own coffee down on Keith’s desk. “Also,” Keith added, “I like it… your outfit. It looks good on you. The colors, I mean….”

Lance blushed, smiling before ducking his head. His hand went to the back of his neck, cupping it and rubbing awkwardly. Keith was shocked when he found the habit endearing. “Thanks.”

It was silent for a moment while Lance pulled out his things. 

“I was thinking we could review for the test today,” he murmured, pulling out a considerably thick packet of paper. “I made this outline over the weekend.” 

Keith sat up straight in Pidge’s chair. So Lance wasn't going to mention last night?

He felt himself relax.

“Sounds good.”

They reviewed for a while. Lance went over everything he’d written in his outline, and seemed pleasantly shocked when Keith managed to answer almost all of them correctly- missing only one question, but easily correcting himself when he noticed Lance about to do so. Keith felt strangely motivated by Lance’s excited smiles- the way his blue eyes would widen, voice rising with enthusiasm. 

“Keith!” he exclaimed, once they’d gotten through everything Lance had prepared. A good thirty minutes had passed, and Keith’s nervousness had faded long ago. Instead, he was influenced by Lance’s good mood, feeling almost giddy. “You did awesome! You’re gonna kick this test’s ass!”

Keith laughed. “I have you to thank for that. Those notecards came in handy.”

Lance beamed. “I’m glad! So I should definitely make some for the next test?”

“Maybe we could make them together,” Keith commented, flushing under Lance’s confused look. “I mean, I think it’d help if I made some of the study material, too.”

Lance’s grin easily found its way back onto his face. “Sounds good,” he replied, putting away his things in his bag. “So,” he started, sounding hesitant, “I was thinking… since the test is this week… do you maybe wanna take a break, Friday?”

Keith felt his heart drop. Duh. Lance probably needed a break. Maybe he had another date with Rolo….

“Yeah. Sure.”

Lance smiled wide. “Cool! Because I wanna take us to do something else Friday. So don’t bring any study materials.”

Keith blinked, trying to backtrack.

Huh?

“You don’t want your Friday to yourself?” Keith asked, and Lance tilted his head in confusion.

“Nah, man! I like hanging with you. Besides, I’ve got something really fun planned. I think you’ll like it.”

Keith was trying to wrap his head around this. A funny feeling wormed itself into his chest, spreading warmth throughout him.

“Okay. Yeah, that sounds good.”

Lance smiled before checking his watch. “Do you wanna head to class?”

Keith nodded, and they gathered their stuff together quickly, walking out of the room and making their way to class. When they got outside, warm weather greeted them, with only a few clouds in the distance. The sun beat down on them both, make Lance practically glow, and Keith had to use all his self control not to stare at the beautiful boy next to him.

Damn him and his sheer shirt.

Lance was on his phone as they walked, texting Sofi and grinning widely as he told Keith about her first day at her new job. Keith had to grab Lance’s elbow multiple times to pull him away from trees, people, and other random objects he was walking straight into. Lance let him, and stayed glued to Keith’s side, his eyes fixated on his phone.

Suddenly, as they were waiting to cross a road, Lance seemed shy. He lowered his phone a bit, angling it away from Keith and sending him quick looks before typing out a response. Lance held his phone for a moment, fingers not moving over the keys as he seemed to contemplate something.

After they’d crossed the road, he spoke up.

“Is it alright if I get a snap with us? Sofi asked what I was up to, and I mentioned you…” he trailed off.

Keith gave him a smile that he hoped was comforting. “Yeah. Sure.”

Lance brightened up immediately, pulling up Snapchat. They moved off the sidewalk and towards a grassy area next to the art building. Lance pulled up his camera, and used facial recognition before going through filters.

“We’re gonna do flower crowns,” he decided, and Keith chuckled.

“Great.”

Once the filter was up, Lance gave a bright squinty-eyed smile. Keith smiled as well before quickly throwing up some bunny ears behind Lance’s head.

Lance took the picture, then looked at it.

“Keith!” he exclaimed while Keith held back his laughter. “What is this, third grade?”

Keith laughed before walking off, leaving Lance to trail him. “I couldn’t resist,” he replied.

Lance stared at the picture for a while before he saved it. When Keith raised an eyebrow at him, Lance shrugged. “It’s a nice photo. I look really good in it,” he said before sending it to his sister.

As they walked, Keith made it a point to look ahead of him, and not at Lance’s distracting self. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and spoke up.

“So how did your date go, yesterday?”

Lance was silent for a moment, and Keith barely caught the sight of his fingers fiddling with his backpack strap. “It was nice. Getting some real progress. He bought me a dolphin.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, and Lance clarified.

“A small glass one. To hang in my car.”

Keith hummed. “Because it’s your favorite animal?” he asked, having remembered this bit of information from last night.

Lance smiled wide, and nodded. “Yeah. And  _ yours  _ are hippos--”

“I regret telling you that,” Keith replied, detecting the teasing tone in Lance’s voice.

“I’m not making fun! I just think it’s… interesting? Never in my entire twenty years of living has somebody told me their favorite animal is a hippo.”

Keith shrugged. “They’re cool.”

“Absolutely no offense intended here, my guy, but  _ how--” _

“I’m not going to talk to you about hippos, Lance.”

Lance made a protesting noise, leaning into Keith’s line of view as he tried to make eye contact.  _ “Why?” _

“I’m not nearly drunk enough.”

Lance raised an eyebrow, a diabolical smirk lifting his lips. It could’ve sent Pidge running for their money. 

“So you’re a talkative drunk, huh?”

Keith felt his ears turn red, and he tried to keep up a nonchalant look. 

“I never said that,” he quickly defended.

“Yeah, but it’s implied.”

“Too bad you’ll never find out.”

“Why not?!”

At that, Keith gave his best shit-eating grin. “Because you’re a July baby.”

And he walked on, leaving Lance to loudly complain in the background.

* * *

 

When class was over, and Keith got a text from Shiro saying he was waiting at the gazebo, his heart went into overdrive.

He hadn’t told Lance, yet.

The taller boy seemed to know something was up, because he leaned against Keith’s desk, raising an eyebrow once he’d grabbed his attention.

“You okay?” he asked. Then he looked concerned. "Did you flop the test?"

“ _No_ \- it's, I did fine. Yeah, I’m fine. I just… have to….”

Lance seemed to understand. “Do you want to cancel lunch?”

“No! No, I’m… uh, well, the opposite. I wanted to invite you to… go with Shiro and me… to the dining hall,” he murmured, turning his phone around nervously in his hands.

Lance seemed to brighten up, eyes big and a smile starting on his lips. “Really?”

Keith shrugged, gathering his things and putting them in his bag. “Yeah.”

He stood up, and Lance spoke.

“I mean, because if you wanna hang out with Shiro alone I don’t--”

“Lance,” Keith deadpanned. “You’re invited. Pidge is bringing Hunk, and they’re gonna meet up with us later on.”

Lance seemed to visibly relax, and his smile eased. “That sounds fun.”

Keith shrugged again, and they started to walk out of the classroom. “I wanted Shiro to officially meet you both. He won’t stop bothering me if I don’t humor him, so I figured I’d get it over with.”

Lance snorted as they made it out the building. “That’s the spirit,” he spoke in an amused tone. The sun greeted them kindly, a welcoming warmth after leaving the cold building. Keith noticed a shiver travel through Lance and goosebumps rise on his tan arms, the hairs there standing on end.

“So are we meeting him there?”

Keith shook his head. “We’re meeting him at the gazebo.”

“Which one?”

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed, and he gave Lance a confused look.

“The only one on campus… by the science building?”

Lance blinked, then broke out into a fit of laughter. Keith looked at him in a bewildered manner.

_ “What?” _

Lance laughed a bit before replying.

“Keith. Oh my god, how many years have you been at this school? There isn’t just one gazebo. There’s like, ten. What parts of campus have you been to?”

Keith could feel his face redden, and he shrugged.

“Just near the science and social sciences… and math. They’re all close together so I don’t really explore much.”

Lance gave Keith a look before he smiled.

“You realize I gotta take you to see each and every one now, right?”

Keith raised a brow, and let out an incredulous noise.

“This campus is huge, Lance. It would take a whole day.”

At that, Lance gave Keith a playful wink. 

“Then it’s a good thing we have your bike.”

* * *

 

When they were getting closer to Shiro, Keith could sense Lance was nervous. He’d started talking a mile a minute as they got closer, adjusting his clothes and moving his hands constantly. Keith tried to think of something comforting to say, but came up blank. 

He was never really good with words.

But maybe….

“I’m afraid this is gonna bite me in the ass,” he spoke up, and Lance stopped talking, focusing his attention on Keith, now.

“What?”

Keith shrugged. “You and Shiro are gonna get along too well, and it’s gonna come back to haunt me somehow.”

Lance laughed, and he seemed flustered. “I can’t help that I’m charming,” he boasted, but Keith could tell it was nothing more than a facade. So he pushed it a bit further.

“He wouldn’t stop talking about what a great student you are,” Keith insisted.  _ What are you saying. Stop.  _ “He’s probably gonna hound you with question after question, so be ready.”

Lance beamed, and his nervousness seemed to vanish. Right on time, as they were slowly approaching the gazebo where Shiro was stood talking to a student, a smile on his face. When he noticed Keith and Lance approaching, he gave them a wave, then said something to the student. They said their goodbyes, and Shiro walked over to the two of them, a sunny look on his face.

“Hey,” he greeted, and Keith gave him a warning look. “Nice seeing you again, Lance.”

Lance gave Shiro a smile. “Nice to see you, too. Thanks for letting me tag along with you guys.”

At that, Shiro gave Keith a knowing smirk. They started to walk, and he spoke up before Keith could stop him.

“Well, I should probably be saying thanks to you guys for letting me intrude. But I guess if I didn’t intrude, I’d never get to meet Keith’s friends.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “You’re so dramatic,” he murmured. 

Shiro smiled before ruffling Keith’s hair. Keith swatted his hand away with a growl.

Lance, however, didn’t seem at all phased. As Keith smoothed down his hair, Lance gave him a fond smile. Keith looked away, trying to hide his heated cheeks from view.

When they got to the dining hall, Lance and Shiro immediately bonded over how many carbs they could both eat- travelling with each other to different food stations as they piled tons of different foods onto plates to try. Keith ended up carrying some of these plates for them. He tried to be annoyed, but was secretly relieved over how much Lance got along with Shiro.

Things were going… well, really smoothly?

Keith should’ve expected it, really. Lance was a people-person. He pleased everyone he talked to. He’d probably never had someone hate him in his entire life. While he was overwhelming, it wasn’t intentionally. He was aware of the effect his boisterous personality had on people, and he usually knew when to tone it down. He was incredibly perceptive- attuned to everyone’s emotions and thoughts. 

Shiro adored him. 

Keith had known Shiro long enough to recognize when he approved of Keith’s friends or not. Though they weren’t too far apart in age- more like distant brothers, in that sense, Keith always saw Shiro as a… sort of parental figure, if he was being honest. 

Shiro's approval meant a lot to Keith. More than he was willing to admit. It hurt when he couldn't earn it, or when Shiro disapproved of the people Keith hung out with, or the things Keith did. Which was... well, often, when Keith and Shiro were living in Oregon.

Though he didn’t have many friends growing up, Keith did occasionally hang out with people now and again. 

Shiro usually hated them.

Keith could easily recall every disappointed dad look Shiro would give Keith when he’d come home smelling like cigarette smoke, or booze. Keith was never allowed to bring this particular group of friends over. Not that he ever tried. But the town they lived in was small, and Shiro knew pretty much everyone. He’d bump into Keith when he was hanging out with people, or trying to hook up with some guy, and express his lack of approval in an incredibly subtle manner that Keith could easily pinpoint.

Shiro didn’t have any of those looks right now. In fact, when they sat down at a table to eat, he gave Keith a look that obviously said “if you let this one go I will personally raise him as my own son”.

Keith pretended he hadn’t noticed.

As Keith had predicted, Shiro fired question after question at Lance- practically interrogating him. Lance, however, preened under the attention, and fired back with perfect answers. Keith found himself impressed at how well Lance was holding his own. He himself had barely spoken other than to comment sarcastically on certain things Lance would say, earning him an elbow from Lance and a witty rebuttal.

There was one question, however, that Lance  _ and  _ Keith hadn’t been prepared for.

“So you two have art class together?” Shiro asked.

Lance smiled. “And history, yeah.”

Shiro hummed. “How  _ did  _ you start tutoring Keith?”

Lance stiffened, and Keith prickled. 

“Uh… well,” Lance hesitated, looking over to Keith for help.

“It’s mutually beneficial,” Keith supplied, trying to look nonchalant as he twined some spaghetti onto his fork. “He helps me with art, and I help him out with something else.”

Before Shiro could inquire as to what this “something” was, Pidge barrelled into him, giving him a hug.

“Hi Shiro!” they exclaimed, and Shiro let out a startled noise before he laughed, returning the embrace.

“Hey, Pidge.”

Keith scooted closer to the wall as Lance pushed him over a bit, making room for Hunk to join them on their side of the booth. Lance’s leg pressed firmly against Keith’s, arm resting against his own, and he felt himself warm up significantly as Lance’s smell came over him- flowery, soft, and sweet.

He turned his head away, hand going to his neck as he tried to put some space between them. Keith didn’t know how long he could stay pressed into Lance like this before his face gave him away.

Was it too late to go sit with Pidge and Shiro? Probably.

Hunk introduced himself to Shiro with a smile before Pidge grabbed his attention, talking to him about their test and going over particular questions they could recall- trying to see who messed up more questions. It seemed to be fairly tied so far.

Keith realized Lance and Shiro were deep in conversation, and tuned in for a moment to find out that Shiro was talking to Lance about future jobs and certain connections he had that he could look into for Lance. 

Lance was astounded, blabbering his thanks and stumbling over words in his haste to express his gratitude. His blue eyes were bright and happy. Keith felt himself melt a little bit into his seat.

Overall, it was nice. The group seemed to meld together so seamlessly, falling into a comfortable balance instantly. Everyone got along well- Hunk and Lance adored Shiro, and Shiro talked to them more than he even did to Keith. 

He found that he really didn’t mind.

It was relieving to have the attention off of him, and to just observe the group’s interactions. The noise was calming… comforting. He didn’t feel the least bit alone.

Eventually, Pidge and Shiro switched spots so that they were sitting in front of Keith, and Shiro was placed in front of Hunk. Pidge had been trying to figure out who would beat the other in an arm wrestling match- Hunk or Shiro, and they decided to find out. Lance had gotten off the booth, his warmth leaving Keith’s leg as he stood by the table, massaging Hunk’s shoulders and preparing him for the match. 

Keith snorted at Lance’s enthusiasm, and he leaned back as he watched his brother prepare to arm wrestle Hunk. Looking at the two of them, they seemed rather equally matched in terms of strength. Pidge and Lance bet on the outcome- Lance placing his bets on Hunk (“No offense, but get rekt Shiro--”), and Pidge placing their bets on Shiro. The loser would have to get the other coffee. Which wasn't really a high wager, since it was free at the dining hall. The bet was probably mostly hinging on bragging rights.

Needless to say, Pidge threw quite the fit when they lost. And Keith learned that Lance was the ultimate sore winner, throwing Hunk’s victory in everyone’s face and even personally walking Pidge to the coffee stand, arm wound around their shoulders.

Keith shouldn’t have found it as endearing as he did. Infuriating, as Pidge had called him, seemed the better term. 

As the two went to get their coffee, Hunk and Shiro discussed their gym workouts, comparing and listening in an intrigued manner to one another’s regimens. 

When Lance came back, he had a smug look on his face as he held a drink that appeared to have extra whipped cream and… rainbow sprinkles? Pidge looked disgruntled next to him, but a smile was on their face as Lance seemed to talk about something loudly. They were also holding a drink-- a caramel frappucino, Keith guessed.

Once the two were at the table, Hunk got up so Lance could have his previous seat next to Keith, and he squeezed right back in, his thigh pressing once more against Keith’s. He didn’t realize how comforting Lance’s presence was until it had left then come back. He suddenly felt calm- less like he needed to get up and pace or run far, far away from any crowds whatsoever. His warmth and presence was like an anchor, and it grounded Keith.

He found himself pressing firmly into the touch, and when he felt a slight press back he told himself he imagined it, though it sent his heart into a frenzy.

“I was going to make you try this,” Lance spoke, referring to his drink, “but I just now realized it’d probably give you an awful case of the shits.”

Keith snorted. “Probably. So is it  _ all  _ whipped cream, or did you decide you wanted some coffee in your sugar?”

Lance smiled wide, taking a big draw of his drink before he replied. “Mocha frappuccino with extra chocolate syrup, some caramel syrup, and shredded chocolate. Then I added rainbow sprinkles from the dessert section- where they do ice cream.”

“He eats like that all the time,” Hunk answered Keith’s unspoken concerns. He was eyeing his best friend’s drink just as cautiously as Keith was. “There’s no talking sense into him. I’ve seen him down twenty sugar packets, before.”

“I had a test in thirty minutes and hadn’t slept! There was no time to get coffee!” Lance defended shrilly. Then he looked at Keith, and gave a cool and confident grin. “I aced it, too.”

Keith rolled his eyes, though a smile was on his lips. “How long did it take you to fall asleep that night?” he asked.

Lance smiled sheepishly. “I fell asleep right away after I… uh--”

“He threw up for a good ten minutes,” Hunk supplied, looking unamused.

Lance offered a shrug. He looked at Shiro quickly, who was just giving an amused smile, and seemed to visibly relax. “The things I do in my pursuit towards education.”

“We all appreciate your dedication, Lance,” Shiro teased.

Conversation continued on after that, and Keith more or less let himself fade out of it. He watched contently as Lance and Shiro went back and forth once more in conversation, a slight smile on his face when he caught snippets of what they were discussing. 

The two actually… had a lot in common. Their humor was surprisingly closely aligned, and Keith swore Lance almost made Shiro spray water out his nose. He instead choked on it slightly as he laughed at something Lance said- a meme of some sort that Pidge and Hunk groaned at while Shiro lost his shit, and Lance looked smug. Pidge patted Shiro’s back hard, their bony hand hitting between his shoulderblades as he tried to compose himself.

Keith honestly didn’t remember the last time he saw Shiro laugh so hard.

It was fun.

Being around Lance was fun. Having him in his once small group made it feel a whole lot more warm and welcoming. 

He liked this. And he could tell the others did, too. They all had such an instant connection- it was like they’d been friends for ages.

It felt like home.

Needless to say, when Lance nudged Keith to get his attention, he was extremely shocked to see that their two hours had nearly ended. 

They all planned to hang out again soon, and Hunk and Pidge decided to keep Shiro company for a little longer as Lance and Keith walked out. 

The walk to their class was filled with a content silence. Halfway there, though, Keith had the feeling Lance wanted to say something. He was finicky, hands flying everywhere, running down his shirt or tugging on his backpack.

“What is it?” he asked, trying not to sound too snappy.

Lance jolted. Then his eyes softened, and he looked troubled.

“Shiro is really nice. I just... feel bad about lying to him. About how we met.”

“You didn’t do the lying. I did. Besides, it was hardly a lie. We were just… bending the truth.”

Lance shrugged. “If he finds out I just don’t want him to think… I don’t know. That I’m using you, or whatever.”

Keith paused. Then he smiled.

“Lance… trust me. He won't think that.”

“Yeah, but  _ what if--” _

“You know,” Keith interrupted, “I  thought the same thing when you told Hunk about us. I was one hundred percent sure he’d think I was a shitty person and hate me.”

Lance raised an eyebrow in disbelief, letting out a laugh.

“Are you kidding? If anything, he’s disappointed in me and sympathizes with you--”

“And that’s most likely what Shiro will think if he finds out.”

“If…?” Lance questioned. 

Keith hesitated. “When… I will tell him. I just….”

Lance smiled. “Hey, no pressure, man. Don’t worry about it.”

Keith visibly relaxed, and they fell back into conversation so easily after that- it was simple… effortless. 

When they got to class, Lance took a seat next to him to continue their conversation before the student who usually sat there arrived. Then he hesitated, lingering for a moment before saying his goodbyes, and walking to his own seat in the back of the room after giving Keith a smile. 

Keith wanted to keep Lance there with him- wanted to find seats they could move to so they could stay sitting next to one another.

He liked being next to Lance. Craved it, almost.

Then he thought about how, right after this class, they’d both be hanging out in Lance’s room. Alone. Listening to music- not distracted by homework or anything else.

Keith didn’t know whether he was excited or terrified.

He decided on both.

* * *

 

“Sorry about the mess,” Lance apologized as he picked up his things from the floor, piling them on his desk chair. “I haven’t really had time to clean in a while.”

“That’s okay,” Keith replied. He shuffled uncertainly in his spot before plopping his backpack at the foot of Lance’s bed. 

“You can just sit wherever,” Lance instructed, rifling through his things before he pulled out an old boom box from underneath his bed. He set it on his desk, and went to work- plugging his phone to it and scrolling through a playlist. 

Keith decided to sit down on the floor, leaning his back against Lance’s bed. Remnants of Lance’s perfumey smell lingered on the comforter as Keith leaned back on it, and he was positive he would never be able to sit on Lance’s bed without having some sort of mental shutdown.

“Are you prepared to eat your words, Keith?” Lance called from his desk, turning to give him a devilish grin.

Keith suppressed a smile, challenging Lance with his eyes. “I’m prepared to prove you wrong.”

Lance laughed good naturedly. “Sure thing, buddy. Alright. Here we go,” he murmured before starting a song and coming by to sit next to Keith on the floor.

His shoulder brushed Keith’s, closer than he needed to be. Keith resisted the urge to pull away, and the more delayed one to press closer.

Chords from a guitar filled the air- a steady descent in a slow pattern. Lyrics sang- a distinctly Beatles-like voice, and Keith honestly couldn’t tell which band member it was, but he sang smoothly and calmly.

_ “Yesterday,  _

_ All my troubles seemed so far away. _

_ Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. _

_ Oh, I believe in yesterday--” _

Keith felt himself relax into the melody, despite himself. He chanced a sideways glance at Lance, readying himself for a shit-eating grin, but was instead met with the sight of closed eyes and a gentle smile.

Keith stared.

_ “Suddenly, I’m not half the man I used to be. _

_ There’s a shadow hanging over me. _

_ Oh, yesterday came suddenly--” _

Keith found himself mimicking Lance, leaning a bit further into the bed, tilting his head forward slightly as he let the lyrics wash over him. He put his left hand down onto the soft carpet of the floor, and felt Lance’s own hand next to his. Their fingers brushed, and neither of them pulled away.

Keith’s heart hammered in his chest.

_ “Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.  _

_ Now I need a place to hide away. _

_ Oh, I believe in yesterday--” _

Cracking his eyes open, Keith took in his surroundings: the sunset lighting the room in a warm glow, Lance’s legs stretched out before him… those ridiculous purple jeans.

Lance’s shoulder felt hot against Keith’s, and he was barreled with a sudden unwarranted thought- a need to feel more of Lance… to see what other parts of him felt so inexplicably, intoxicatingly warm- buzzing with an intense, intoxicating static energy.

He didn’t know how to feel about that.

Ages seemed to pass, though Keith knew the song was short and coming to a close. He found himself wishing it lasted longer.

A soft humming from the singer ended the song on a surprisingly sweet note, and Keith turned to look at Lance, who opened his blue eyes in a dazed manner.

He turned to look back at Keith, and he felt frozen under those eyes.

They stared at each other for a moment before a smile curled Lance’s lips. Wavering, Keith’s gaze dodged down to those lips quickly before meeting his eyes once more.

“You liked it, didn’t you?” Lance asked in a teasing manner. His voice was low- quiet, even though they were the only ones in the room. Keith couldn’t help but think it was an incredibly soft and private moment. He blinked back to reality.

Shrugging, he tore his gaze away. “It was alright.”

He knew Lance could see his smile, and was shocked when he didn’t get a shrill, indignant response defending his song choice.

Instead, Lance stood up as another song played. A slow tempo filled the room.

“I love this song,” he spoke, voice happy and calm.

A hand reached out to Keith, and he looked up to meet Lance’s excited smile.

“Dance with me?”

Keith blinked, taken aback. Lance laughed, taking both of Keith’s hands.

_ “Come on,  _ you can’t not dance to this song.”

Keith let himself be pulled onto his feet, and his heart was hammering faster in his chest, ready to burst out. He felt his face flush unbearably hot, and took his hands from Lance.

He crossed his arms.

“I don’t dance.”

Lance snorted. “Okay, Corbin Bleu,” he teased. At Keith’s confused look, Lance let out a noise of shock.  _ “Keith!  _ Tell me you’ve seen High School Musical!”

“Uh….”

“Oh my god. Alright, that’s next on my list.”

“Your list?”

“Yeah. My ‘shit Keith hasn’t done’ list. I’ve been secretly working on it.”

Keith gave an unimpressed look, and Lance waved a hand.

“Nevermind. Dance with me,” he insisted, reaching out a hand. He smiled brightly, and Keith’s legs felt distinctly like jelly. But he didn’t uncross his arms. “Come on, Keith. Nobody is here to see your terrible moves.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, not budging. In response, Lance swayed to the music, taking Keith’s shoulders and swaying him along with him. Even though Keith remained stone still, Lance was insistent, continuing his ridiculous dance moves as though Keith was the most compliant partner, and humming along all the while.

His voice was so smooth. 

Eventually, Keith sighed.

“Just don’t dip me.”

Lance’s smile grew even brighter, and his hands ran down Keith’s arms, taking Keith’s own. He suddenly wished he was wearing his gloves, because his palms were sweating like crazy. Lance didn't point it out, though, just let his smile grow gentle, his eyes soft.

“Just follow my lead.”

Keith did, trying his best to keep up. Lance went slow for him, guiding him around the room as they danced. He took long and elegant steps, then small shuffles, twirling them around fast and slow. They just followed the rhythm of the music.

_ “Bright are the stars that shine, _

_ dark is the sky. _

_ I know this love of mine _

_ will never die. _

_ And I love her--” _

Lance sang along with the lyrics- soft and low and sweet, and Keith didn’t expect his voice to be so… beautiful?

Enchanting?

Drop-dead gorgeous?

Either way, he was hooked to the sound. Lance smiled as he sang- he never seemed to stop smiling, and he looked at Keith as he sang and swayed them around, singing softly to him.

No. Just singing. Not to Keith. 

It didn’t matter that those blue eyes never left him- that Keith could feel the vibrations of Lance’s voice as his right hand found his shoulder, and settled on his back. It didn’t matter that they were closer than before, now, chests nearly pressed together.

_ “I know this love of mine _

_ will never die. _

_ And I love her.” _

The song came to a stop, and Lance gave Keith a devious look. Before he had time to react, Keith was being dipped.

He let out an ungraceful yelp, hands grasping on tight to Lance’s shoulders.

Their eyes met, Keith’s wide and Lance’s smiling. They gazed at one another for a good ten seconds before reality settled in, and Lance lifted them up. Keith immediately shoved him away, hating the way his face flushed as Lance laughed.

“Asshole,” Keith murmured, crossing his arms.

Lance grinned. “We needed a dramatic finish.”

Keith rolled his eyes. Another song played, and Lance continued to hum along to it, walking over to his desk to lower the volume.

“Hey- do you have anywhere to be?” Lance asked, and Keith could tell he was trying to sound casual.

“Not really.”

Hesitance. “Well… do you wanna just hang for a bit? We can do homework or just… I dunno, watch Netflix or something?”

Keith smiled. “I think both sound good.”

Lance beamed, grabbing a sweater from his chair and pulling it on. Keith was both relieved to get a break from that sheer tank top, and sad to see it go. “Cool. We should probably get the homework out of the way first, huh?”

Keith shrugged. “Probably.”

They ended up watching three hours of Netflix until Hunk came back and joined them. Then three turned into five, and Keith eventually went reluctantly back to his room with a bag full of homework, resenting the fact that he’d probably be up until two in the morning getting it all done.

When he got to his room, Pidge was asleep. He changed into some pajamas, brushed his teeth, and sat at his desk.

Thirty minutes in, and halfway through his studying playlist, Keith paused.

He picked up his phone.

**1:05 A.M., Keith Kogane:**

**what was the name of the first song we listened to?**

He didn’t expect Lance to reply, and was shocked when his phone buzzed.

**1:05 A.M., Lance McClain:**

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Yesterday**

**Glad you like it ;)**

Keith rolled his eyes, putting his phone away.

A few minutes later, he picked it back up and added the song to his playlist.

Lance would never have to know.

* * *

 

“Any skills you have that may apply to the job?”

“Yeah. I’m very good at sitting on my ass in front of a computer.”

Pidge gave Keith an unimpressed look. He could feel it, though he made sure not to turn his head to look at them, instead keeping it resting on their shoulder. 

He popped a gummy bear in his mouth. “Honestly, Pidge, I’ve had one job in my entire life and it was working at the auto shop. Besides mowing lawns and doing some tutoring, I really don’t have much to put on my resume.”

Pidge shrugged. “It doesn’t matter- you don’t need job experience. Resumes for college students is mostly putting down what academic achievements you’ve earned, and courses related to the job.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to look at Pidge, now, and getting a faceful of wild hair. He batted it away so he could look at them.

“What kind of courses would get me a job working front desk at a gym?”

“Anything relating to communications.”

“So… talking to people?”

“Pretty much. These kind of jobs mostly rely on customer service and communication skills.”

“Great. So my chances of getting this job hinge on the one thing I have no skill in whatsoever.”

Pidge snorted. “You’ll get the job. Really, when it comes down to it, they just want someone who looks like they could benchpress a student…” they looked Keith over, “or… well… a me-sized student.”

Keith eyed Pidge’s laptop wearily, where they were currently typing up a resume for him. 

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not competing with Hunk.”

“True. Great communication skills,  _ and  _ the biggest biceps I’ve ever seen. You wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Just speaking the truth,” Pidge teased as they typed down some stuff. “Here. I’ve put down some basic skills. Let’s just use some examples of your past experiences to specify it.”

Keith sighed. “I feel like we’ve been working on this for hours.”

“It’s been thirty minutes.”

“Exactly.”

“Don’t be a lazy shit. It’s not good for the job.”

Keith groaned, now. “Pidge. It’s Friday. We’re usually binging X-Files around this time.”

Pidge checked the clock. “Lance is picking you up at four, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So we’ve still got five hours. Let’s get this out of the way so we can get some episodes in and you can go to the gym tomorrow and get yourself a job.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “When did you become so responsible?”

Pidge smiled. “I’ve  _ always  _ been responsible. But… well, getting a job of my own didn’t hurt.”

Keith hummed in acknowledgement. “How is it, by the way?”

“It’s nice. Besides dealing with a bunch of incompetent people who don’t know anything.”

Sitting up, Keith drew his knees to his chest and leaned back against the wall. They were sitting on Pidge’s bed, both still in their pajamas. He watched Pidge carefully, a smirk lifting his lips as he asked his next question.

“You having fun working with Bee?”

Pidge reddened before turning to glare at Keith.

“I have your resume in my hands, Kogane.”

“So you get to tease me but I can’t do the same?”

“Nope.”

“Doesn’t seem fair.”

“Life isn’t fair,” Pidge retaliated, and Keith snorted.

“Fine, fine. I’ll drop it.”

They continued writing, incorporating some of Keith’s coursework into his resume. Pidge actually had an incredible knack for making Keith sound way more experienced than he actually was. Even he was beginning to find himself hireable. He made some offhand comment about Pidge considering to work for the careers department at their school, and they beamed at the praise.

After getting the first draft done, they put the work aside and decided to look at it when Keith got back from hanging out with Lance. He actually felt confident about applying for the job, tomorrow.

Pidge and Keith spent the rest of their afternoon binging  _ X-Files.  _ They got maybe two episodes in when Keith got a text from Lance.

**2:23 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**hey, just a reminder, dont bother bringing a backpack**

**or… uh. anything?**

**itll all b covered tonight.**

Keith’s eyebrows knit together, and Pidge glanced over his shoulder from where he was laid down next to them. Their hands were playing with Keith’s hair, pulling his fringe back from his forehead and tying it up before grabbing more elastics and setting to braiding random strands.

“That’s fairly ominous,” they commented.

“Actually, that’s exactly what I was thinking of writing,” Keith admitted.

“Do it.”

He did.

**2:24 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**dude im not gnna kidnap u or anything**

**Pidge knows ur with me**

**so there’s a 99% chance you will not be snatched tonight**

**2:25 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**what’s that one percent?**

**2:25 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**it has to do with atmosphere**

**you’ll see!**

Keith rolled his eyes before putting his phone away.

“You wanna join us in this sketchy adventure?” Keith asked Pidge. They snorted as they shook their head, finishing with his second braid. 

“Nah, I’m good. I actually… have plans.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, tilting his head up to look at his friend. Their cheeks reddened, and Keith smiled, but didn’t tease.

“Really? What’re you doing?”

Pidge shrugged again. “I was gonna go play some video games at Bee’s. They live in the East dorms.”

Keith smiled. “That sounds nice.”

“Yeah….”

“Let me know how it goes?”

Pidge smiled. “Sure.”

* * *

 

When Keith was dressed and ready to go, he flopped onto Pidge’s bed, eating the last of their snacks as he watched them get ready for their own afternoon.

“What time do you think you’ll be back?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Text me when you’re on your way back? Then I can get here in time to see you so we can finish your resume.”

Keith smiled. “Thanks, Pidge.”

“No problem,” they replied as they picked up a sweater and gave it a sniff. “Ugh. I’ve got to do laundry.”

“I just did mine. You can grab something if you want?”

Pidge gave Keith a grateful look before rifling through his drawers. They eventually pulled out a deep blue-green sweater of his, yanking it on. The sleeves went past their hands, and they rolled them up to their elbows.

“I’ll wash this with mine tomorrow,” they promised, and Keith waved them off.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied as he tossed the wrapper to their gummy bears. He went over to his desk and hesitated before grabbing his wallet.

“So you don’t have any idea where Lance is taking you tonight?” Pidge asked, sitting down backwards on their desk chair as they scrolled through their phone.

“No clue.”

“Weird. I expect live updates.”

“Duh,” Keith replied, and Pidge grinned up at him before their eyes flicked back to their phone, their thumbs flying over the screen as they typed. 

“I’m gonna head out now, then. See you later.”

“See ya,” Keith replied.

He laid down on his bed, now, and was about to scroll through his phone when it pinged with a text.

**3:50 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**Mom has been talking to me all week about her call with you. She’s really happy.**

**Thanks for doing that for her.**

Keith smiled at his phone, though he felt a bit of guilt worm its way into his heart. 

His call with Shiro’s mom  _ had  _ been nice. He told her about school, Pidge, and how he was applying for a job. He even mentioned Hunk and Lance.

She’d seemed… really happy to hear from him. And, to be completely honest,  _ Keith  _ had felt just as happy to talk to her.

It made him wonder why he didn’t do it more.

Well… he knew why. But it wasn’t enough of an excuse.

**3:52 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**I’ll call her more often.**

**I promise.**

**3:52 P.M., Takashi Shirogane:**

**:)**

A few minutes later, there was a knock on Keith’s door.

He immediately got up and beelined to the door before pausing at his mirror, adjusting his clothes and messing with his his fringe.

He huffed out a breath before making it to his door, and opening it.

Lance looked amazing. As usual.

He was wearing jeans that were a warm shade of teal, and hugged his legs nicely- emphasizing how long and slender they were. Keith’s eyes trailed up to a tight fitted off-white button up tucked into his jeans, and a soft grey cardigan. There was a shark embroidered on the left side of the cardigan, near the collar.

Keith suddenly felt underdressed. Well, he always felt that way around Lance.

But Lance didn’t even seem to notice, and he greeted Keith with a bright smile.

“You look nice,” he complimented, and Keith was taken aback.

“Thanks,” he murmured, though he was fairly sure his outfit had  _ at least  _ one hole in it. “So do you,” he added quickly, dodging Lance’s eyes as he stepped out into the hallway to join him. “Where are we headed, anyways?” he asked, though he knew Lance wouldn’t reveal their plans so easily.

Predictably, he made a motion of sealing his lips and tossing away a key, giving Keith a cheeky grin.

Keith rolled his eyes, though a smile was on his face. “Ugh. Fine. Are we leaving campus?”

Lance nodded, lifting his keys and giving them a jingle. “Yep. I’m driving.”

“Do I need money?”

“Nah,” Lance waved him off. “It’s covered. Don’t worry.”

Keith frowned. “Does it have to do with class?”

“Keith. Dude. Don’t worry. You’ll like it.”

Keith sighed, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I’m not… good with surprises,” he explained apologetically. 

Lance smiled softly, now, and bumped his shoulder against Keith’s. “Don’t sweat it. This is gonna be chill. Just you and me. Nothing crazy. Okay?”

Keith managed a smile at that. “Okay.”

* * *

 

They drove to the city.

It was a nice drive. Lance played some music from his “inspiration” playlist, and it droned lazily in the background as they made their way through steady traffic. 

Once Keith saw the tips of skyscrapers on the horizon, he had turned to give Lance a questioning look.

Lance, of course, pretended he hadn’t noticed. So Keith kept his questions bottled up, and enjoyed the drive to the best of his ability. 

He didn’t know how adamant Lance was about keeping their destination a secret, though, until he chose a parking lot in a pretty vague part of the city, and proceeded to tell Keith they were about a twenty minute walk away from their destination.

_ “Where  _ are you taking me?” Keith groaned once they’d been walking for ten minutes. It seemed so familiar- Keith knew the area, but he couldn’t remember why.

“Patience,” Lance insisted, and his blue eyes were excited, so Keith let it slide.

When they were maybe a few minutes from their destination, Lance sidled up next to Keith, looped his arm with his, and covered his eyes with his free hand.

“Lance, what the f--”

“I intend to keep this surprise a secret until the moment we get to it. Don’t worry, I’ll be your eyes… your guide through Middle Earth… your Jiminy Cricket… your right hand man, if you will--”

“Oh my god, please shut up.”

He could hear Lance chuckle beside him, and found himself leaning in closer, his heart pounding. He couldn’t tell whether it was from his proximity to Lance, or the fact that he was suddenly fucking blind.

“If you let me trip or run into something, I’m going to kick your ass,” Keith threatened.

Lance let out a dramatic gasp. “Keith! Have a little faith!”

Keith grumbled unintelligibly, and Lance giggled. “You gotta put up with my shenanigans. It’s a big part of being friends with me.”

“I’m going to need you to write up a contract, because I will need to know all the terms and conditions of being your friend before I choose whether or not I’m going to commit to it.”

“Pfft. As if. You’ve already chosen. We’re inseparable now. Like peanut butter and jellly… coffee and donuts… the sun and moon… popcorn and movies… fire and ice--”

“Seriously, I need you to shut up before I trip you.”

“Remember who’s blindfolded, my friend.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Keith murmured, and Lance’s hand suddenly slipped to his waist, pulling Keith flush against him.

“Whoops! Sorry,” Lance called out to someone behind them. 

“You almost let me run into someone, didn’t you?”

“It was an accident, and totally won’t happen ag--”

Keith tripped over an uneven part of the sidewalk, and Lance kept him upwards.

“Okay.  _ Now  _ it won’t happen again!”

* * *

 

Keith was officially convinced that Lance was too good for him, and that he should immediately tell him to get out of his life because there was no way he could compete with him.

They were at the museum. The art museum. To see the exhibit Keith had mentioned fleetingly.

Once they made their way inside the building, Lance had removed his hand from Keith’s eyes, and let out a dramatic “ta-da!”

Keith was speechless. He ended up just letting out an astounded thank you, and fumbled over his words of gratitude. Lance gave him a blinding smile, and waved away his thanks.

“It’s no problem, really. I’m super excited to see the exhibit, too. And, I mean, we also have tons of other exhibits here that have to do with what we’ll be learning in the future, so I figured it’d be a good interactive way to learn the subject matter.”

Keith raised a questioning eyebrow. “We…?”

“Oh. Yeah. Uhhh, I work here. Well, I did last year. I’m starting again in a week.”

Keith’s eyes widened, and he found himself taken aback. “Oh. I didn’t know that. What do you…?”

Lance gave him an easy smile. “I’m an education assistant for grades K-12," he explained as he opened the door for Keith, and led him inside, "I basically do workshops and tours and stuff. Sometimes I travel to schools and libraries. When I’m not doing that I staff events or just help in other sections of the museum.”

“That’s… actually really cool,” Keith spoke, and he found that he meant it. He was astounded with this boy.

The more he got to know him, the deeper he became invested.

Lance smiled shyly. “Ah, well. It’s pretty fun. I love working here.”

Keith smiled. “It suits you.”

Lance dodged Keith’s gaze, but he smiled. “Thanks.”

They made it to the front desk, and there was a sudden bounce in Lance’s step when he saw two girls that were working there among the group of six otherwise bored yet artsy-looking people.

Before he could even say anything, the girls shouted Lance’s name excitedly. He bounded over to them, went around the counter, and scooped the girls up into a big hug. They hugged him back, giggling excitedly.

Lance exchanged some words with them that Keith didn’t catch. Then he heard one of them- a tan girl with long blue hair- say, “So you’ve decided to return to us little people, huh?”

Before Lance could talk, then next girl spoke- she had a short bob that was pink and faded to white at the ends.

“Thank you for gracing us with your presence once again. It’s only been- what- a year, right?”

“Aw, Flo, don’t be like that!” Lance exclaimed. “You know you two are the true reason I came back.”

Flo, the pink haired girl, gave the other girl an unimpressed look. The blue-haired girl met Lance’s eyes.

“So you’re broke, right?”

Lance smiled sheepishly.

“Horribly,” he revealed.

“When do you start, again?”

“In a week.”

“Good. It really wasn’t the same without you,” the blue-haired girl spoke, and Lance smiled before giving her a hug. Then he turned to look at Keith, and his smile grew brighter.

“My lovely, beautiful and best lesbians. Meet Keith, my lovely, beautiful best gay.”

“I thought Hunk was your best gay?” Flo spoke up.

“Hunk is pans, and cannot be compared to anyone ever because he ascends this realm as a human being and it would not be fair,” Lance corrected. The girls seemed to nod in agreement, and Lance looked at Keith, once more. “Keith, this is Plax and Flo. They’re the real heroes of this place.”

“Pfft, please,” Plax, the blue-haired girl, spoke before batting Lance’s arm.

“He’s right, though,” Flo added.

Plax gave the other girl a look, though a smile was on her face, and she turned to meet Keith’s eyes. “Nice to meet you, Keith.”

Keith gave the girls a smile he hoped was kind enough. “Nice to meet you, too.”

Lance grabbed some visitor stickers from behind the counter, and gave Plax and Flo each a kiss on the cheek before hopping over the counter and making his way to Keith. He turned to look at his friends. “We’re gonna go see the Basquiat exhibit! Have you guys gone on break, yet?”

“Yeah, but we get off at seven-thirty,” Flo replied.

“Cool! We should still be here. Wanna give us a personal tour?” Lance joked.

“God, no. But let’s do dinner?”

Lance looked to Keith, who gave him a smile. He grinned back before turning to his friends and nodding.

“Sounds good! We’ll see you then.”

Lance gave his friends a wave before walking off with Keith, peeling a visitor sticker and putting it on Keith’s chest. Then he did one for himself.

“Don’t you have to pay for those?” Keith asked, and Lance waved a dismissive hand. 

“I’ve got a membership pass, and it lets me bring in one guest free,” he explained. Then he gave Keith a wide grin. “Told ya I got tonight covered.”

Keith ran his fingers over the sticker on his shirt, and found himself smiling.

“Those two seemed nice.”

Lance beamed. “Plax and Flo are the best. And gorgeous. And dating, which I- uh, well…  _ found out.” _

Keith gave Lance a look. “You flirted with one of them, didn’t you?”

“Both. At separate times.”

_ “Lance--” _

“Hey! It’s not my fault! I flirted with Florona and then she told me she was in a relationship, so I apologized and backed off. Then I met Plax later the same day, and… well… same thing happened. How was I supposed to know they were dating  _ each other?” _

“You’re an embarrassment,” Keith sighed.

“Hey, if I see someone pretty then I let them know. What’s the harm?” Lance defended before taking Keith’s arm and guiding him up a spiral staircase. He let go, and Keith resisted the urge to reach back out for Lance’s arm in return. “Let’s start from the fourth floor and make our way down. The fourth has the temporary exhibits. That’s where the Basquiat one will be.”

“Sounds good.”

Lance led Keith through the museum, up the spiral, back behind some exhibits, across an indoor bridge, and through a stairwell. He seemed to know the place like the back of his hand, and was leading them through what appeared to be a shortcut. All the while there was a spring in his step, and excitement in the air.

It filled Keith with excitement, too. He followed Lance blindly, confident in letting him take the lead.

When they finally reached a door at the top floor of the museum, Lance grabbed Keith’s wrist. His fingers were warm on Keith’s skin.

“You ready?”

Keith found it in himself to smile, but he wasn’t sure he could speak. The fluorescent lights of the stairwell, which should’ve made Lance look gross, just seemed to make his blue eyes even brighter and more alluring.

He managed a nod.

Lance smiled, then tugged Keith along, pushing open the door before him.

There were a lot of people. That was the first thing Keith noticed. He could feel himself stiffen, but then Lance pulled him close- into their own little bubble, separate from the world around them.

His muscles relaxed.

Then he noticed the art.

Giant pieces stood on the floor, bright with colors and surrounded by stanchion rope that people crowded near, trying to get as close to the art as they could. Journal pages and art pieces covered the walls of the exhibit, the journals containing Basquiat’s doodles and writing, and the art covered in sporadic bits of colors, equations, writing, and drawings. 

Keith didn’t know what to look at, first. Thankfully, Lance seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go, and he led them to where people were lined up in front of the journal pages. 

They walked along the entire wall, reading each one. Lance hardly spoke- it was the quietest Keith had ever seen him. He seemed so engrossed in the words and doodles, like he found something profound in each letter and stroke of marker. 

Lance’s hand eventually left Keith’s wrist, but they remained close together, their arms pressed hot against one another. Keith blamed the bustle of the crowd around them, and the lack of space, but even as they reached the end of the journal pages and the crowd thinned, Keith didn’t pull away.

Neither did Lance.

The writing was all over the place, but filled with so much emotion. Each one told some sort of story, and Keith found himself lost within every one he read. He stared, just as transfixed as Lance, and they must’ve taken at least five minutes with each one.

He remembered when Allura took him to an art museum, back in Portland. 

Shiro had come home for Christmas his freshman year of college, and brought Allura with him to meet his parents and Keith. It took Keith a long time to warm up to her. Though he knew practically everything about her through Shiro, he was still put off by finally meeting her. If he was going to be honest, he'd been looking forward to having Shiro to himself for the break. Keith found himself jealous of all the attention Shiro gave her, not wanting to share his brother with her. All the things he had been looking forward to being able to do with Shiro once again would have to be sacrificed, and though Keith felt selfish for thinking so, he'd wished Allura hadn't come along. He hadn’t seen his brother in months, and she had been with him all the while. And, though he had been happy for Shiro when he told Keith about Allura during all their calls, he wasn’t particularly excited to actually meet her.

He felt replaced. 

And, as he always did back in his foster homes, he retreated into himself. 

Shiro immediately took notice. He tried to include Keith in his activities with Allura. Tried to plan stuff for just the two of them, without her. But it never felt the same- Keith couldn’t get himself to adjust.

Then Allura stepped forward.

Keith didn’t know it at the time, but she’d sent Shiro and his parents out for the day, leaving her alone with Keith. She’d given him some bullshit excuse about them running errands, and told Keith (with sad eyes that could easily rival Pidge’s) about how Shiro was supposed to take her to the museum that day.

Somehow, Keith found himself agreeing to go with her.

He hated all the exhibits. 

For some reason, he couldn’t connect with the art. Sure, it was cool to look at, but he didn’t really see the point in any of it. He was restless the whole time there, and grew irritated when Allura took her time with each and every piece.

That was, until they got to the modern art section, and saw a piece by Basquiat. Keith had been drawn to it, and Allura noticed. They connected over it- Allura had researched the artist for a school project, once, and she told Keith everything about him- how he was close to his mother, who was taken away from him when he was young. How he was torn from his family, outcasted, but was resilient and headstrong.

Keith didn’t know what Allura knew about his past. Seeing as she was dating Shiro, he assumed she knew a good amount. But the way she had told Keith about this artist… she left a hopeful note. She spoke admiringly of what he created, and of his brilliant mind. She told Keith how he overcame obstacles, and grew stronger for it.

They left that museum friends.

Seeing so much of Basquiat’s work displayed before him, Keith found himself overcome with a torrent of thoughts and emotions. He felt lost, but content. Out of his body.

Then Lance leaned in, shoulder pressing against his own, and breath warm against Keith’s neck. He was instantly drawn back to Earth- anchored by Lance’s presence.

“We should probably move onto the other pieces. That lady to your left has been giving us annoyed looks for a while.”

Keith realized they’d been standing at the last journal page for a while, and looked over to his left. There was a very annoyed looking lady, as well as a bunch of other people crowded near, trying to peek at the journal pages on the wall. 

Keith nodded absently, and Lance tapped two fingers against his forearm to grab his attention as he led them elsewhere.

Lance started talking freely now, explaining the mediums of each piece and the stories behind them- the symbolism and other junk. Keith tried to pay attention to what Lance was saying, he swore. But he found himself focusing far more on his excited eyes and wide smile… on the sound of his voice, rather than on what it was saying.

When they were nearly finished with the exhibit, and Lance was pointing out a detail on a piece they were looking at, he suddenly stopped, his eyes going past Keith, and lighting with excitement.

“Oh! Allura!” he called out, waving before making his way to the other side of the room.

Keith froze, panic clawing at him.

Idiot. He was an idiot. 

This was Allura’s dad’s museum. She worked here. Of course she’d be here.

He turned to look where Lance had gone, and saw him talking to Allura, who looked absolutely enthralled to see him. He gave her a hug, and she was laughing, hugging him back tightly. 

Lance worked here last year. Duh. He knew Allura.

Maybe Keith could go hide somewhere. If he was quick enough, they wouldn’t even see him--

Before he could act, Lance was pointing in his direction, and Allura turned to look at him.

Allura looked shocked, and he could see her saying his name. Lance was saying something to her, and she replied, glancing at Lance before returning her gaze to Keith.

He sighed, and walked over to the two of them.

Might as well get this over with.

Lance, of course, was the first to speak, and he looked at Keith accusingly.

“Shiro’s girlfriend is  _ Allura?”  _ he asked, and he sounded completely mortified.

Keith raised a brow, a hand on his hip as he gave Lance an unimpressed look.

“You flirted with her, too, didn’t you?”

“He did,” Allura revealed. “It was… cute,” she spoke, giving Lance a fond and teasing look. He squawked indignantly before burying his face in his hands.

_ “Ohmygod,” _ he moaned into his palms.

“So did you flirt with Shiro, too?” Keith asked, just to tease him further.

_ “No,  _ dude! He’s my professor, that’d be so weird. Everything I felt was in the form of purely safe, and  _ justifiable _ , daydreams.”

“Oh my god,” Keith replied.

“Dude, have you  _ seen  _ Shiro?”

“Lance does have a point,” Allura agreed, her blue eyes adoringly sappy as they always got when Shiro was mentioned.

“Gross,” Keith added, before giving Lance a pointed look. 

_ “Anyways,”  _ Lance spoke, trying to change the topic of conversation, “why didn’t you tell me you knew the  _ practical owner  _ of the museum?! Not to mention that Shiro is dating her.”

Keith shrugged. “It’s not really something you throw into casual conversation.”

Lance gaped. “Yes it  _ absolutely-fucking-is.” _

Allura laughed, and Keith snorted in amusement. “You kinda dragged me here blindfolded. There wasn’t really time for me to mention it.”

Allura looked confused, and she squinted at Lance. “You… what?”

Lance blushed. “I brought him here as a surprise. He wanted to see the Basquiat exhibit.”

Allura looked Lance over for a moment, then looked to Keith. Then she seemed to realize something, and gave Keith a knowing smile. He felt his cheeks heat up.

“Well that’s… very sweet of you, Lance,” she replied, and she sounded incredibly genuine- as if she were seeing Lance in a new light. “Tell me, how did you two meet?”

Before Lance could say anything, Keith spoke up.

“We met in an art class on campus. Lance tutors me in it,” he explained, glancing at Lance, and catching those blue eyes before they darted away from him, looking off to the side. Lance seemed to droop, and Keith swallowed before he added, “We’re friends.”

Allura smiled brightly, and Lance looked pleasantly surprised before he recovered, giving Keith a soft smile that he had to look away from. His heart beat quicker in his chest.

Keith felt flustered, and Lance thankfully changed the subject.

“Is Coran around? I wanted to say hi to him.”

Allura gave Lance an apologetic look. “Unfortunately not. He’s at a meeting in New York this week. He will be back when you start working next week, though.”

“Cool,” Lance smiled. Then he turned to look at Keith. “I’m guessing you know Coran, too.”

Keith nodded. He had met Coran during his first year at college. Shiro had introduced them. Coran was Allura’s father’s best friend- and like a second father to Allura. They had both founded the art museum together.

“Let him know I said hi,” he told Allura, and she nodded and smiled.

“I will,” she promised, then gave Keith and Lance a warm look. “You two enjoy your visit. Lance, I’m sure you can give Keith a proper tour for me?”

“You got it,” Lance chirped, and Keith smiled at his enthusiasm. Allura turned to look at Keith, now.

“I’m happy you decided to visit. Though it did take you three years,” she teased. “Regardless, I’m glad you found the… proper motivation,” she added, glancing at Lance. Keith decided not to look to see his reaction.

They said their goodbyes, and Allura hugged Lance then Keith. Before she left, she gave Keith a wink and thumbs up that only he could see, and he frowned at her, though he could feel his cheeks heat up.

Once they were done with the temporary exhibit, Lance dragged him to every single one within the museum. It took them hours to get through it all, though (if he were to be honest) it only felt like minutes to Keith.

Being with Lance was, quite literally, a rush. Every moment with him flew by so fast, though it all seemed to happen in slow motion in Keith’s brain. When he found that the day was nearly over, he almost wished he could rewind and live it all through, again.

He still had dinner with Lance and his work friends to look forward to. Though some part of him wished it was just the two of them, Keith found he liked Plax and Flo, and was happy to be around them. Conversation between them didn’t feel forced- they were kind and fell into a natural rhythm with Keith, just like Hunk and Pidge did.

They all went to a pub down the road from the museum- about a ten minute walk. The night air was chilly, and Keith wished he’d brought a jacket. It didn’t bother him too much, though- the city lights, chaotic motion of people, and noise that surrounded him did well to distract him during their walk. Then they were at the pub, sat at a booth where Lance pressed unnecessarily close to Keith, and he instantly felt warmer.

Plax and Flo had apparently met one another at the museum three years ago. They’d taken a good year to finally get together, and had been dating ever since. Keith couldn’t help but notice that they were… well, cute. 

They were polar opposites- Plax was bubbly and loud, and Flo was reserved and snarky. The two of them bickered throughout dinner, but it lacked all bite- their looks towards one another were far too fond. That, along with Lance gushing to the two of them about how cute they were, really took away any seriousness in their “arguments”. 

And, the whole time, they always had a hand on one another. They weren’t over the top- not the type of PDA Keith was subjected to daily on campus. Plax and Flo just gave each other small touches- Flo gently moving hair away from Plax's mouth as she was eating, Plax wiping ketchup from Flo's lip with her thumb, gentle touches to one another’s arms, shoulders, legs.

They were small, intimate touches. Keith couldn’t help but… want that.

Since when did he become a sap?

He was spending way too much time with Lance.

Plax and Flo asked how Keith and Lance had met, and Keith took ahold of the conversation. He had given Lance a look, and when he met his eyes it was like they shared the same thought.

They told the truth.

It earned them a few laughs, and one snide remark from Flo about their lives being a really corny rom-com. Keith had blushed at the implications of that statement, and Lance chirped in, saying he refused to let his love life fall into such a basic trope. While he was obviously joking, Keith felt stung by the remark just slightly.

Lance went on to insist that he and Keith were just friends, and then talked about how awesome Keith had been with the whole situation. He even told them all about his most recent date with Rolo, and how the two were starting to text more, again.

Keith found himself tuning the rest of it out. He didn’t feel as warm as he had earlier, anymore. He felt cold- distant, and he let himself pull away from Lance and his friends both literally and physically. 

He shifted himself away from Lance as subtly as he could, putting the smallest bit of space between them. Just so he could feel like he could finally calm down, again.

Everything hurt.

_Get yourself together, Kogane. You know the game plan- you know why Lance needs you._

Friends. Nothing more.

The rest of the night Keith tried to keep up his nonchalance, participating in conversations when he needed to- throwing teasing remarks at Lance’s expense on cue. But he didn’t have his heart in it all, anymore.

He felt… tired.

As Lance led the conversations, Keith went through his phone.

**6:03 P.M., Pidge Holt:**

**so where did lance take u for ur secret date?**

**7:52 P.M., Pidge Holt:**

**Keith, r u dead**

**should i be worried**

Keith typed out his response.

**8:31 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**sorry. got busy.**

**im alive**

**he took us to the art museum**

**8:31 P.M., Pidge Holt:**

**oooooOOoOooo cheesy**

**bf goals <3 <3 <3 <3**

**so how did it go??? dont tell me ur still there?**

**how much cuold there b to look at, >??**

**8:32 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**we’re not still there**

**we’re getting dinner. should be done any second.**

**wanna continue our netflix binge when i get back?**

**8:32 P.M., Pidge Holt:**

**only if u spill all the juicy details to me**

**8:32 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**sure, if u tell me about ur night with Bee**

**8:32 P.M., Pidge Holt:**

**………….**

**8:32 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**:)**

**8:33 P.M., Pidge Holt:**

**….fine. damnit.**

**i hate when u have leverage on me**

**nobody ever does**

**i dont like it**

**8:33 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**thats what you get when you decide to submit to human needs like the rest of us mortals**

**i’ll text you when im close**

Luckily, it seemed that the night was coming to an end. They paid their bill, and all walked outside. The girls had parked at the museum, which was in the same direction as where Keith and Lance had to go, so they all walked together.

Lance and Flo took the front, busy being in a heated debate about something Keith didn’t catch onto. This left him trailing behind with Plax, a pregnant silence between them. It seemed as though Plax wanted to say something to him.

Five minutes into their walk, she finally spoke up.

“Give him time,” she spoke. He jerked his head up to look at her, and sure enough she was talking to him.

“What?” 

Plax smiled patiently. “Lance,” she spoke softly. “Give him time. He likes you, too. I can tell. He just doesn’t know it, yet.”

Keith could feel his face heat up horribly, and he knew it had to be the most obvious shade of red. He quickly glanced at Lance to make sure he hadn’t heard any of this, but he was completely oblivious- still talking animatedly with Flo. Keith looked back at Plax.

Had he really been that obvious?

He opened his mouth to speak, probably to deny it all- to tell her she had the wrong idea- but Plax beat him to it.

“I liked Flo from the moment I met her, y’know? Had this awful crush on her. The kind where everything just _hurts._ I couldn't stand it. I knew how I felt right away. It took her a bit longer to realize how she felt about me, though. I watched her date other girls for a year- watched her struggle with them and not know why. Then it clicked. It just… it takes some people more time. You can't push them, you just... you gotta let them come to realize their own feelings. It's tough, but... what's meant to happen will happen. It’s going to take Lance some time. But he’ll realize it. I'm certain."

Keith’s palms were sweating, and he wiped them against his jeans. “Plax, I,” Keith tried, but he interrupted himself. He looked at Lance- at the way his hair curled at the nape of his neck. How his hands flitted around as he spoke- long fingers spread openly as they blurred with movement, and how Keith just wanted to grab them and hold tight to keep them still, to see if they were warm... to hold him near. How Lance’s eyes always seemed to glow when he smiled.

He felt his heart constrict.

“It’s not like that,” he finally finished. Plax gave him a sympathetic look, and Keith dodged it, trying not to glare at the sidewalk too hard. It took a while, but she finally responded.

“He cares about you. A lot. Anyone with eyes can see that.”

Keith looked back at Plax. The city lights reflected in her green eyes, and they were soft as she smiled at him. “Please don’t give up on him. He’s sweet, and he’s filled with a lot of love, but… sometimes it’s misguided.”

The only thing Keith could manage was a nod. He didn’t know what to say. 

Of course he knew his feelings for Lance weren’t normal. It was different than how he felt about Pidge, or Hunk, or Allura, or Shiro, or anyone else in his life.

He just… didn’t know what to name these feelings, yet.

He didn’t even know if he’d be ready to accept them, once he did.

“Thanks,” he murmured. Plax didn’t say anything for a moment, just smiled.

Then she reached out and linked their arms, pulling him close. Keith was shocked with the touch, but he didn’t oppose it as much as he thought he should.

“You’re sweet, Keith,” she spoke, and she met his eyes, now. “If he ever breaks your heart, I’m gonna kick his ass.”

Keith found it in himself to laugh at that. Lance paused at the noise, and turned to look back at the two of them. He met Keith’s eyes, and smiled softly.

Keith felt it like an anvil dropped on his heart. His knees felt like jelly, and all he could see was Lance- as if he were doomed to always be encapsulated by those deep blue eyes. He smiled back, and it hurt. 

It was absolutely horrible. 

Then Lance looked away, back at Flo, and Keith was released- felt as though he could breathe again. His body loosened up, and he felt exhausted.

“You know what? Just kick some sense into me, instead,” he grumbled.

Plax patted his arm sympathetically. “It gets easier, buddy. I promise.”

Keith doubted it, but he sure hoped so.

* * *

 

Keith went to the campus gym early Saturday morning, resume in hand, ready to talk to whoever was waiting at the front desk.

Except… there was nobody there.

He looked around. The gym was busy, and yet there seemed to be no employees around.

Someone ran frantically to the computer, skidding to a halt behind it, and smoothing down their dark curly hair as they tried to look presentable.

“Yes, how can I help you?” They asked. They seemed frazzled, and Keith blinked as he tried to gather himself.

“Uh, I was looking for the manager--”

“That’s me,” the person replied. He looked a bit older than Keith, but still student-aged. “Is there something you needed?”

Keith lifted his resume as he spoke. “I, uh… saw the job ad? On the school website. I wanted to apply.”

The person- Evan, going by their name tag- seemed to light up. “The front desk job?”

“Yeah.”

“Great! You got it. You start immediately.”

Keith blinked. “Wh- are you serious?”

“Yeah!” Evan explained, grabbing Keith’s resume and flitting his eyes over it. “Great grades- you’re a student on campus. Hey- I even recognize you- you’ve been here before. So you know the layout of the place--”

“You want me to work front desk right now?” Keith asked, trying to grasp what the guy was saying. “Isn’t that a little--”

“Consider it your training- a trial, really. Just four hours. If you like it here, great! I’ll bring you the paperwork you need to make it official, and you can take it home tonight and look over it, then bring it back to me on Monday, and we can settle the rest. If you don’t like it, no harm done. Deal?”

Keith thought it over for a moment. He didn’t have to go out with Pidge today until five, and it was only ten in the morning. He really had no plans, today….

“Sure. Why not.”

Evan smiled. “Awesome!”

He went over the basics with Keith- scanning people in, managing the computers, what to say on the phones. It was all pretty simple, really.

The only real drag was that it tended to be boring. Keith was told he could go around and help people out with equipments, but that he always had to remain near the front desk. And, seeing as there were always people coming in and out, Keith never got to leave the desk for long. 

He tried to walk around as much as he could. Evan had told him about their no cell phone policy, so he couldn't even entertain himself when there was just absolutely nothing to do. He  _had_ been told, however, that he was allowed to bring a book or homework to work on, just as long as it didn't distract him when people came in. Overall, it was a really chill work environment.

There was a nice crowd of people that Keith had to tend to, seeing as it was a Saturday morning. He managed it all easily enough, and was actually surprised when his shift was over.

He told Evan he wanted the job.

Keith took the paperwork home, and was met with dozens of texts from Pidge, who was convinced he’d died in the fifteen minute walk to and from the gym.

He got back to the dorm, updated them on what had happened, and they celebrated by taking Keith’s motorcycle and going off campus for lunch.

It was really nice. Keith was  _ happy. _

He felt content, and found that his weekend flew by too fast after that.

The rest of Saturday, he didn’t see Lance, at all. 

Keith and Pidge had gone to the science museum, as they’d planned, and Hunk had ended up tagging along after his shift at a bakery off campus- offering to drive them all in Lance’s car. Pidge said Hunk had texted them saying how bored he was, since Lance was apparently out with Rolo and Shay was hanging out with her roommate. They had asked if it was okay to invite him, and Keith had immediately agreed. He liked Hunk, and he knew it'd be way more fun if he came with them.

Hunk brought them all pastries from work (he'd made them himself), and they all got coffee from a shop on campus before making the drive to the museum.

They spent all night at the science museum, and most of it was in the observatory. Pidge and Hunk had a blast- they geeked out over  _ everything,  _ and had multiple long conversations with tour guides, researchers, and even the director.

It was really fun. Keith almost forgot about Lance’s absence.

Almost.

Snapchat was still a thing, and Lance sent him plenty. They were on a five day streak, now, and Lance had sent him a selfie of him and Rolo eating ice cream- the unmistakable bustle of the city behind them.

Keith had sent him a photo of Pidge and Hunk fighting over a telescope in return.

It was late at night when they finally left the museum. Hunk drove them to get Taco Bell, and they took it back to Hunk and Lance’s room so they could eat and watch movies. 

When they got back, Lance wasn’t there.

Keith tried not to sound too desperate when he mentioned this to Hunk, but he didn’t miss the knowing look Pidge gave him.

_ Tone it down, Kogane. _

“He said he’s staying the night at Rolo’s,” Hunk murmured, and he seemed uneasy. The fact that even Hunk seemed to not like Rolo made Keith panic a bit. His heart raced, but he didn’t voice his concerns.

“Oh,” he’d replied.

They’d all squeezed onto Hunk’s small bed and watched some of his and Lance’s Indiana Jones movies. And, as they hung out until nearly four o’clock in the morning, Keith couldn’t help but stare at the door to the dorm, hoping Lance would waltz in and join them.

He didn't. They'd all fallen asleep while watching movies, and when Keith woke up at seven in the morning, practically carrying a sleepy Pidge back to their room, Lance still wasn't back.

Keith couldn't fall back asleep once he'd gotten to his room- an awful empty feeling in his stomach.

Later that morning, Lance had given Keith his first painting lesson. They used watercolors, and painted some sketches Lance had already gotten done for them previously. 

He didn’t mention his night with Rolo, and Keith didn’t ask.

And when he caught sight of a hickey from beneath the collar of Lance’s loose shirt- a shirt that was a deep indigo, and  _ definitely  _ didn’t fit Lance right- he swallowed hard and looked away.

September drew to a close, and October was creeping closer. It was suddenly upon them- the trees were filled with leaves the color of fire, Keith had permanently changed his wardrobe from t-shirts to sweaters, and by week two he was already starting to see frost on the grass in the morning.

He had study sessions with Lance every week on Friday. Sometimes they took it outside, sometimes to the bubble tea shop, sometimes in the library with Hunk and Pidge, and sometimes in their dorm's lounge or in their rooms.

When the twenty-fifth drew nearer, bringing midterms and Shiro’s engagement, Keith could feel the tension in the air.

Well, more specifically, he could feel Shiro’s panic.

The week of the engagement, Keith had to deal with text after text and call after call from Shiro, all of them filled with freakouts and existential dread that Keith was pretty sure Shiro was a bit too young to have.

He had to do his best to calm Shiro, and found himself wishing he had Lance’s way with words. But he didn’t. So he settled with talking logic into his brother, and that seemed to do the trick.

“You’re practically married to her already,” Keith had told him on the phone one night, gripping his pencil tight in frustration as he scratched out an equation he’d botched on his advanced calculus homework. “All you’re doing is making it official. She loves you, and she’s gonna love whatever you do. No matter how lame it inevitably is gonna be.”

Shiro laughed at that, voice shaky. “Gee, Keith, thanks.”

Keith found himself smiling. “No problem.”

The twenty-fifth finally fell upon them.

It was a Tuesday, and though they had classes, Pidge and Keith had spent the whole day getting everything ready while Shiro finished up with work, and tried not to panic. 

The moment the day drew to a close, everyone went to their positions, a sense of purpose in their stride.

Keith’s job was getting Allura to Room 358 without arousing suspicion. 

He’d rehearsed his plan continuously, and honed in his poker face when it came time to put it into play.

Allura pulled up in front of the art building in her old white mazda, and when she stepped out she looked tired, yet just as beautiful as always. Which was good, since Pidge had set up cameras in the room to record the whole engagement, and Keith knew Allura would have their asses if she didn't look presentable for her engagement video. 

Allura had just gotten off her shift at work, but immediately drove to Keith all the way from the city just because he asked for her help.

It warmed his heart, in a way. To know he had people like that there for him. He reminded himself to visit Allura and Shiro more.

He gave her a small smile as she walked towards where he was waiting by the front door.

“Hey. Thanks for driving all this way.”

She engulfed him in a hug, and he returned it. “It’s absolutely no problem. I’m happy you reached out to me. So, what room is your presentation going to be in?” she asked as they walked into the building.

“Ah, I don’t remember the number, but I know where it is,” he rambled. Allura nodded.

“What’s your presentation going to be about?” she asked. Keith was quick to reply, and thanked Lance's exhausting studying regimen.

“Rococo Period architecture in relation to the principles, culture, and events of the time. Lance has been helping me with it, but I just wanted to make sure I know how to use the room’s computer and projector and all that stuff. And, well, I was hoping you could help me sort of dissect my lecture?” he asked. “It has to be twenty minutes long.”

“Of course,” Allura smiled. They reached the elevator, and took it to the building’s third story. “I actually know a documentary clip that could cut maybe five minutes out of the lecture. You could show it in the middle so you have a chance to take a break and gather your points.”

Keith smiled, and resisted the urge to chuckle at how truly invested Allura was in Keith’s fake project. 

She had no idea what she was getting into. Keith mentally patted himself on the back for his acting skills.

Lance would be proud.

“Thanks a lot for this. I would’ve had Pidge or Shiro look over it for me, but they’re not super artistically inclined.”

Allura seemed excited. “I’m really happy to see you getting into your art class,” she told him before giving him a teasing look. “Do I have Lance to thank for that?”

Keith shrugged, shying from her gaze. “I guess. A little. You mostly have my need to get an A in that class to thank.”

Allura laughed. “Of course. Well, Lance is sweet. I’m glad you two have gotten on. And he is an excellent teacher- I’ve seen him assistant teach in the classes we hold at the museum. He’s a natural leader.”

Keith smiled. “Yeah. I guess he is.”

They exited the elevator, and Keith led her down the hall, and around a corner. When they got close to the room and the numbers 358 glowed at them in white font from the black nameplate, Keith chanced a glance at Allura.

Thankfully, she didn’t say anything, but a small smile touched her lips and her eyes softened at the sight of the room number. Keith breathed out a sigh of relief, and pulled out his phone, shooting Shiro a quick text.

“This is the room,” he told her before holding onto the door handle. 

He pulled it open.

They walked in, Keith by Allura's side. 

Two steps in, she gasped, hands flying to her mouth.

The room was dark, save for tea lights that sat on desks that had been pushed to the side to clear a pathway down the middle, and fairy lights that hung about the walls, looping around the ceiling. Bouquets of pink peonies filled the room- their petals littered all along the ground. Shiro stood at the end of the makeshift aisle, donned in his work clothes- a clean white button up with black slacks- a warm, totally-in-love smile on his face. 

Allura was nearly in tears- her eyes were wet, and they reflected the warm lights of the room. 

"Shiro," she gasped as he walked towards her. Keith stepped to the side to give them some privacy, a grin on his face. "What are you...." 

She couldn't seem to finish the sentence, her own choked sob cutting her off. 

Shiro took her hands, holding them to his chest, and Allura was crying, now, tears falling gently down her cheeks. Shiro wiped them away, a gentle laugh leaving him as he held Allura's face for a moment.

Then he retreated a hand, dug through his pocket, and got down on one knee, pulling out the engagement ring box. He opened it, and Allura gasped shakily.

"Allura, I--"

Shiro didn't get the chance to finish, because Allura barreled into him, grabbing his face in both her hands, and giving him a million kisses. They both fell to a heap on the floor, and Keith resisted the urge to snort at his brother's shocked expression.

_ "Yes!" _  she exclaimed, laughing and crying all at the same time. She was still holding Shiro's face, and she pushed back his hair, kissing his forehead, then his cheek, then his nose, and she was smiling wide, saying things Keith couldn't catch in a giddy yet soft voice.

Shiro was laughing too, now, and he managed to pull away long enough to slide the ring onto Allura's finger, taking her hand and kissing it afterwards. The ring glinted warmly in the light of the room as Allura's hand flew up to cradle Shiro's cheek, running a thumb underneath his eye, and Keith was pretty sure she was wiping away a tear. He smiled softly.

"I had a whole speech planned, you know," Shiro told her, and Allura laughed.

"I don't doubt that," she replied, and she was still smiling so wide, her expression dazzling. She ran her fingers through Shiro's fringe, pushing it back before gently running a finger across his eyebrow. "You can tell it to me tonight."

Keith would've faked a gag if this was anything but Shiro and Allura's engagement. 

Once Shiro and Allura were on their feet, Keith sent a quick text to Pidge.

**8:08 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**ready**

**8:08 P.M., Pidge Holt:**

**on it**

Just as Shiro was putting peonies in a giggling Allura's hair, the sound of fireworks met them from far off, and the lights of it shone through the window of the building.

Allura jumped with shock, and Shiro laughed as he dragged her to the window to show her.

Off campus, fireworks in the shape of hearts filled the sky- pinks, reds, and magentas lighting up the room brilliantly. Other fireworks surrounded them, offering multitudes of color that reflected in an ethereal manner in Allura's white hair and dark skin.

"Shiro," Allura gasped as multicolors of light reflected on the two of them. She turned to look at him. "Did you--"

"We have Pidge and Matt to thank for that," Shiro told her with a smile. 

Suddenly, Allura seemed to remember that Keith was still in the room with them. She turned to look at him, and Keith didn't know whether she was angry or happy.

 _"You--"_ she sputtered.

Keith smirked. "Yup."

Allura was just now registering everything- all the planning that went into this. "You all- you all planned this and, and you-  _Keith_ _,_ how did  _you_ manage to trick me!"

Keith shrugged. "I took acting classes specifically for this occasion."

Allura laughed. "Oh my _god._ All of you- I'm going to get back at all of you."

"You're welcome," Keith told her with a smile. Then he looked at Shiro and Allura. "You two lovebirds enjoy the night. Let me know the wedding date."

Before he could leave, though, Shiro came over and pulled him into a tight hug. 

"Thank you," he murmured, and when he pulled away his eyes were glassy. He managed a thick laugh before saying. "And tell Pidge thank you for me, too."

Keith smiled, hand resting on Shiro's arm. He gave it a squeeze. "Will do."

As he walked out the building, he was met with cold air and multiple texts from Lance. He wound his scarf around him before he checked his messages.

**8:09 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**KEITH**

**HOLY CROW**

**ARE U SEEIN THESE FIRWWORKS**

**HFOSB:G**

**HOLY GOD IM SOBBIGNG**

**THE FIRST SAID "MARRY ME"**

**OHYMG**

**NOW THERE's A BUNC H OF HEARTS**

**KEITH**

**SOMEBODY IS HABING THE BEST NIGHT OF THEIR GD LIFE RN**

**aaaaaaAAAAaAAHHhhhHHHHHHH!!! , <3 < 3 <3 <3**

Keith laughed before typing out his response.

**8:14 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**yup. it was for Shiro and Allura**

The reply was instant, and in all caps.

**8:14 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**FUCKING FWHAT**

**ARE U FUCKCIGN WITH ME**

**????**

**8:14 P.M., Keith Kogane:**

**u at ur dorm?**

**8:14 P.M., Lance McClain:**

**YES!**

**GET UR RIPPED SKINNY JEANS ASS OVER HERE RIGH T NOW I DEMAND**

**fd**

**THE ENTIRE STORY**

**OHGOGMYGOD**

**LOVE IS IN THE AIR AND I AM ALIVE**

Keith smiled before looking up at the sky behind him, at the fireworks that still went off in an array of yellows, greens, purples, pinks, reds and blues.

He made his way to Lance's dorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *youtuber voice* dont forget to like, comment, and subscribe.;;;; follow my tumblr @spacegaykogane
> 
> the art for this chapter is done by the lovely karoline!! be sure to check out her ao3 (@karovie) and her Tumblr (@karoviesart)
> 
> stay gay, m y d u d e s


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